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 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.

We report a study of 20 exclusive reactions measured at the AGS at 5.9 GeV/c incident momentum, 90° center of mass. This experiment confirms the strong quark flow dependence of two-body hadron-hadron scattering at large angle. At 9.9 GeV/c an upper limit had been set for the ratio of cross sections for (p¯p→p¯p)(pp→pp) at 90° c.m., with the ratio less than 4%. The present experiment was performed at lower energy to gain sensitivity, but was still within the fixed angle scaling region. A ratio R(p¯ppp)≈140 was measured at 5.9 GeV/c, 90° c.m. in comparison to a ratio near 1.7 for small angle scattering. In addition, many other reactions were measured, often for the first time at 90° c.m. in the scaling region, using beams of π±, K±, p, and p¯ on a hydrogen target. There are similar large differences in cross sections for other reactions: R(K−p→π+Σ−K−p→π−Σ+)≈112, for example. The relative magnitudes of the different cross sections are consistent with the dominance of quark interchange in these 90° reactions, and indicate that pure gluon exchange and quark-antiquark annihilation diagrams are much less important. The angular dependence of several elastic cross sections and the energy dependence at a fixed angle of many of the reactions are also presented.

The exclusive process π−p→ρ−p has been measured at 90° c.m. with an incident pion momentum of 9.9 GeV/c. We present data on the angular dependence of the decay ρ−→π−π0. We observe a strong azimuthal dependence in the decay in the c.m. helicity frame of the ρ. Such an azimuthal dependence is not compatible with SU(6) valence-quark perturbation calculations.

The spin correlation parameter A00NN for 497.5 MeV proton + proton elastic scattering was determined over the center-of-momentum scattering angle region 23.1°–64.9 °. The new A00NN extend to more forward angles than existing A00NN and have significantly smaller statistical errors (±0.01–0.04). The A00NN are qualitatively described by recent phase shift analyses, but a quantitative shape and normalization discrepancy remains in the forward angle region. These new data provide important constraints for nucleon-nucleon spin-dependent amplitudes at forward angles which are used in theoretical models of nucleon-nucleus scattering.

The depolarization parameter D NN for pp elastic scattering at θ cm = 90 ° has been measured at twelve momenta between 0.9 and 1.5 GeV/ c . The moduli of the three transversity amplitudes T 1 , T 3 , and T 4 have been extracted from these data and from previous measurements of the differential cross section and spin correlation parameter A NN (90 °). Smooth energy dependence is found for all three amplitude moduli.

The polarization P in proton-proton elastic scattering has been measured at 3.83 GeV/ c for 0.35 ⩽ | t | ⩽ 3.0 (GeV/ c ) 2 , i.e. 29° ⩽ θ c.m. ⩽ 93°. The polarization shows a minimum at − ⋍ 1.0 ( GeV /c) 2 followed by a maximum at −⋍1.5 ( GeV /c) 2 . At the same energy the spin rotation parameter R has been measured in the interval 0.18 ⩽ | t | ⩽ 0.57 (GeV/ c ) 2 . Comparison with the results at 6.0 and 15.75 GeV/ c shows a similar t -dependence and the same average value at all three energies.

The spin rotation parameter R in elastic proton-proton scattering has been determined at incident momenta 6 and 16 GeV/ c in the interval from t = −0.18 (GeV/ c ) 2 to −0.54 (GeV/ c ) 2 . R pp at 16 GeV/ c is close to the val obtained for R in π − p elastic scattering at the same incident momentum. Equality of R pp ( s , t ) and R π p ( s , t ) is expected if Pomeron exchange dominates and if factorization holds. The t -dependence of R at 16 GeV/ c is consistent with weak helicity flip.

Elastic scattering, single-pion and deuteron production have been investigated. The cross-section for elastic scattering is σelastic = (13.5±0.3) mb. The angular distribution has been fitted to dσ/d|t|=(dσ/d|t|)0 e −bt in the region of low values oft. The best fit givesb=(6.7±0.5) (GeV/c)−2 and (dσ/d|t|)0=(91±5) mb(GeV/c)−2. The cross-sections for ppπ0, pnπ+ reactions are respectively (2.6±0.3) mb and (9.7±0.4) mb. These reactions are dominated by the (3/2, 3/2) nucleonpion isobar production and by forward backward collimation of the nucleons. The production rates for the isobars ++1238 , +1238 , +1500 have been estimated, taking into account the experimental peripheral behaviour of the interaction. In the pnπ+ reaction they are (50±2)%; (10±3)%; (4±3)%. In the ppπ+ reaction the production of ++1238 is estimated to be (45±10)%. The dπ+ and dπ+π+π- reaction cross-sections are respectively (0.03±0.01) mb, and (0.04±0.01) mb.