The slope b(s) of the forward diffraction peak of p−p elastic scattering has been measured in the momentum-transfer-squared range 0.005≲|t|≲0.09 (GeV/c)2 and at incident proton energies from 8 to 400 GeV. We find that b(s) increases with s, and in the interval 100≲s≲750 (GeV)2 it can be fitted by the form b(s)=b0+2α′lns with b0=8.23±0.27, α′=0.278±0.024 (GeV/c)−2.

Angular distributions of π + and K + p elastic scattering have been measured for an incident beam momentum of 10.0 GeV/ c . For π + p elastic scattering almost the complete angular distribution was measured. The angular distribution of proton-proton elastic scattering was measured for an incident momentum of 9.0 GeV/ c in the interval of the four-momentum transfer squared from 0.7 (GeV/ c ) 2 to 5.0 (GeV/ v ) 2 . For π + p elastic scattering the structures at − t = 2.8 (GeV/ c ) 2 and − t = 4.8 (GeV/ c ) 2 are less pronounced than at lower momenta. The cross section for scattering at 90° in the c.m. system is of the order of 1 nb/GeV/ c ) 2 . For K + p elastic scattering is a break in the angular distribution around − t = 3 (GeV/ c ) 2 . The differential cross sections for proton-proton elastic scattering decrease smoothly with increasing momentum transfers.

We measured dσdt for p+p→p+p at 11.75 GeV/c using the zero-gradient synchrotron 70% polarized-proton beam and a 65% polarized-proton target. We obtained the spin-orbit asymmetry parameter A and the spin-spin correlation parameter Cm out to P⊥2=4.2 (GeV/c)2. We found that A drops smoothly towards zero, but that Cnn increases abruptly near P⊥2=3.6 (GeV/c)2, where the exp(−1.4P⊥2) component of elastic scattering becomes dominant. This suggests that large-P⊥2 "hard" elastic scattering may occur mostly when the two proton spins are parallel.

We measured the cross section for proton-proton elastic scattering at 11.75 GeV/c using the Zero Gradient Synchrotron 52% polarized proton beam and a 60% polarized proton target. We measured dσdt(ij) in the ↑↑, ↓↓, and ↑↓ initial spin states perpendicular to the scattering plane in the range P⊥2=2.0−3.6 (GeV/c)2. We found that the asymmetry parameter A decreases smoothly with increasing P⊥2 in this range, and that the spin-spin correlation parameter Cnn may have a minimum near P⊥2=3 (GeV/c)2.

Results on the elastic K − π − scattering have been obtained from a study of the K − π − system in 15 000 events of the type K − p→K − π − p π + at a K − beam momentum of 4.25 GeV/ c . The on-mass-shell values of the spherical harmonic moments of the K − π − scattering angular distribution and the K − π − elastic cross section have been obtained by extrapolation to the pion pole. From these values we determined the s- and p-wave phase shifts δ 0 3 and δ 1 3 as a function of the effective mass of the K − π − system between threshold and 1.25 GeV/ c 2 . The value of | δ 0 3 | is smaller than 17° for all mass values and the existence of a p-wave cannot be neglected. At m K − π − = 1.18 GeV/ c 2 there are two solutions for the phase shifts. On the average, the cross section of the K − π − elastic scattering over the region of the effective mass considered amounts to approximately 2.5 mb.

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.

Approximately 60 000 events have been collected in a spark chamber experiment at the CERN Proton Synchrotron which studied elastic diffraction scattering of π--p and p-p at incident momenta of 8.5, 12.4 and 18.4 GeV/c and of π+-p at 8.5 and 12.4 GeV/c. Magnetic analysis of the incoming and diffraction scattered particle, together with measurement of all angles, permitted each event to be determined as elastic subject to three constraints, so that the inelastic background was rejected with. high efficiency, even at the larger momentum, transfers. Much of the data have been processed by the CERN Automatic Flying-Spot DigitizerHPD. A detailed description of the experimental technique and of the methods of analysis is given. The results, together with data from lower energies, confirm the remarkable energy-independence of the shape of the pion-proton diffraction scattering peak up to |t| = 1.5 (GeV/c)2, wheret is the square of the four-momentum transfer, over a range of pion energies from 2 to 18 GeV. Proton-proton scattering does however appear to show a shrinking diffraction peak. In general, the data agree with other experiments using both counter and bubble chamber techniques, but some differences do appear. During the experiment, data were taken which set an upper limit of 2·102 μb/(GeV/c)2 on the differential elastic cross-section dσ/dt over a range of |t| from 20.9 to 23.4 (GeV/c)2 at 13.4 GeV/c incident pion momentum.

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 .

From an experiment done with the CERN Omega spectrometer, triggered by a fast forward proton device, we present results on the differential cross section d σ d u for π − p backward elastic scattering. The d σ d u distribution agrees with an A e Bu law. The compilation of existing results shows a discrepancy between results but the ( d σ d u ) u=0 data fit perfectly an s 2 α 0 −2 dependence, as predicted by a single Δδ Regge trajectory exchange. A search for the reaction π − p → d p , with a fast forward deuteron, which can be produced by a double-baryon exchange mechanism, gives cross-section upper limits of ∼1% of the backward elastic cross section.

We measured dσdt for p↑+p↑→p+p from P⊥2=4.50 to 5.09 (GeV/c)2 at 11.75 GeV/c. We used a 59%-polarized proton beam and a 71%-polarized proton target with both spins oriented perpendicular to the scattering plane. In these large-P⊥2 hard-scattering events, spin effects are very large and the ratio (dσdt)↑↑:(dσdt)↑↓ grows rapidly with increasing P⊥2, reaching a value of 4 at 90° (c.m.). Thus, hard elastic scattering, which is presumably due to the direct scattering of the protons' constituents, may only occur when the two incident protons' spins are parallel.