Results are presented on elastic scattering of 10.1 GeV/ c K − mesons on protons, based on a sample of 16 261 kinematically-fitted bubble-chamber events. The differential cross section is given over the | t |- range of 0.06 to 2.5 GeV 2 and is fitted with the expressions a e bt , A e Bt + Ct 2 and ( P e Qt + Re St ) over various intervals of t . The results are compared with those of other experiments at nearby energies. Upper limits of | α | < 0.28 and σ B < 0.4 μ b (both at a 90% confidence level) are given for the ratio of real to imaginary part of the forward-scattering amplitude and the backward-elastic-scattering cross section, respectively.

The reactions π − p → p π − and π − p → p ϱ − ( ϱ − → π − π 0 ) at 10 GeV/ c with the proton in the forward direction in the c.m.s. are discussed on the basis of 953 elastic scattering events and 2240 events of the reaction π − p → p π − π 0 . The total backward cross sections are 0.52±0.10 and 1.52±0.28 μ b, respectively. In both cases the production mechanism is compatible with the dominance of the baryonic Δ δ Regge trajectory exchange. The ϱ − decay angular distributions are studied in the u -channel helicity frame and the spin density matrix elements are presented as functions of u .

The polarization parameter in π + p backward elastic scattering at 6 GeV/ c incident pion momentum has been measured using a butanol polarized proton target, a high intensity pion beam, and a scintillation hodoscope detection system. Details of the apparatus and data analysis are presented here, together with the final results.

The polarization parameter in π − p elastic scattering has been measured in the backward angular region at an incident momentum of 6 GeV/ c . The measurements cover the range of four momentum transfer u = 0 to −1 (GeV/ c ) 2 , and were obtained with a high intensity pion beam, a butanol polarized proton target, and arrays of scintillation counter hodoscopes. The polarization is different from zero, in contradiction to the prediction of the naive one trajectory Regge-exchange model. It increases positively with the four-momentum transfer u, reaching a maximum of about 0.4 at u ≈ −0.3 (GeV/c)2. It then decreases and becomes slightly negative beyond u ≈ −0.5 (GeV/c)2. A variety of baryon exchange models are briefly reviewed and none are found to be in complete agreement with all the experimental data.

The polarization parameter has been measured for π − p elastic scattering in the backward region at 3.5 GeV/ c incident momentum. The experimental set-up consisted of a polarized target in a spectrometer magnet, hodoscopes and wire spark chambers. Data are presented for the range −0.95< u ⩽−0.19 GeV 2 . An isospin analysis has been carried out to separate the I u = 1 2 and I u = 3 2 contributions.

The single-pion production reactions $pp\to d\pi^+$, $pp\to np\pi^+$ and $pp\to pp\pi^0$ were measured at a beam momentum of 0.95 GeV/c ($T_p \approx$ 400 MeV) using the short version of the COSY-TOF spectrometer. The implementation of a central calorimeter provided particle identification, energy determination and neutron detection in addition to time-of-flight and angle measurements. Thus all pion production channels were recorded with 1-4 overconstraints. The total and differential cross sections obtained are compared to previous data and theoretical calculations. Main emphasis is put on the discussion of the $pp\pi^0$ channel, where we obtain angular distributions different from previous experimental results, however, partly in good agreement with recent phenomenological and theoretical predictions. In particular we observe very large anisotropies for the $\pi^0$ angular distributions in the kinematical region of small relative proton momenta revealing there a dominance of proton spinflip transitions associated with $\pi^0$ $s$- and $d$-partial waves and emphasizing the important role of $\pi^0$ d-waves.

Excitation functions AN(pp,Θc.m.) of the analyzing power in pp→ elastic scattering have been measured with a polarized atomic hydrogen target for projectile momenta pp between 1000 and 3300 MeV/ c. The experiment was performed for scattering angles 30°≤Θc.m.≤90° using the recirculating beam of the proton storage ring COSY during acceleration. The resulting excitation functions and angular distributions of high internal consistency have significant impact on the recent phase shift solution SAID SP99, in particular, on the spin triplet phase shifts between 1000 and 1800 MeV, and demonstrate the limited predictive power of single-energy phase shift solutions at these energies.

Differential cross sections have been measured for nucleon-isobar production and elastic scattering in p−p interactions from 6.2 to 29.7 GeVc in the laboratory angle range 8<θsc<265 mrad. N*' s at 1236, 1410, 1500, 1690, and 2190 MeV were observed. Computer fits to the mass spectra under varying assumptions of resonance and background shapes show that conclusions on t and s dependence are only slightly affected despite typical variations in absolute normalization of ± 35%. Logarithmic t slopes in the small- |t| range are ∼15 (GeVc)−2 for the N*(1410), ∼5 (GeVc)−2 for the N*'s at 1500, 1690, and 2190 MeV, and ∼9 (GeVc)−2 for elastic scattering. Also for the small- |t| data, cross sections for N*'s at 1410, 1500, 1690, and 2190 MeV and for elastic scattering vary only slightly with Pinc consistent with the dominance of Pomeranchuk exchange and with diffraction dissociation. A fit of N*(1690) total cross sections to the form σ∝P−n gives n=0.34±0.06, while for elastic scattering n=0.20±0.05. For the N*(1690) the effective Regge trajectory has the slope αeff′(0)=0.38±0.17. When compared with N* production in π−, K−, and p¯ beams these data also agree with approximate factorization of the Pomeranchuk trajectory. N*(1236) cross sections are consistent with other measurements at similar momenta. For −t>1 (GeVc)−2, elastic scattering cross sections decrease approximately as Pinc−2, and they and N*(1500)− and N*(1690)− production cross sections have t slopes consistent with 1.6 (GeVc)−2.

Measurements of the polarization in pp elastic scattering have been made at 5.15 GeV/c over the range −t=0.2 to 1.8 (GeV/c)2. The data are compared with a Regge-pole model, and with the diffraction model of Durand and Lipes in which the absorptive part of the pp interaction is derived from the electromagnetic form factor of the proton. The latter model reproduces the t dependence of the experimental data in a qualitative way.

We have measured the reactions π±p→π±p and π+p→K+Σ+ at 5.0 GeV/c in the region 2.2<−t<3.5 (GeV/c)2. We find the minimum cross section of the dip at −t=2.8 (GeV/c)2 in π+p elastic scattering to be 0.16 ± 0.05 μb/GeV2. The π−p differential cross section exhibits similar structure, while the π+p→K+Σ+ channel shows a steady decline in cross section as |t| increases. The polarization of the Σ+ remains large and positive to at least −t=2.8 (GeV/c)2.