π±p elastic differential cross sections in the momentum range 1.72-2.80 GeV/c have been measured at the proton synchrotron "NIMROD" of the Rutherford High Energy Laboratory. The results are tabulated, and analyses of the differential cross sections employing optical models and Legendre polynomial expansions are advanced. A critical discussion of a recent interpretation of differential-cross-section structure in terms of interference between resonant and background amplitudes is presented.

The contradiction of the σ term of pion-nucleon scattering as deduced from the Karlsruhe-Helsinki phase shifts with the smaller value calculated by the chiral perturbation theory of QCD is well known. In an effort to clarify the discrepancy we have determined the real part of the isospin-even forward-scattering amplitude of pion-nucleon scattering at a pion energy Tπ=54.3 MeV by measurement of the elastic scattering of positive and negative pions on protons in the Coulomb-nuclear interference region. The deduced value is in agreement with the prediction of the Karlsruhe-Helsinki phase-shift analysis for that energy. The resulting large value of the σ term may be interpreted as being due to the influence of s¯s sea pairs even at large distances (small Q2) as previously suggested by the European Muon Collaboration measurement of deep-inelastic scattering of polarized muons on polarized protons.

The real part of the isospin-even forward-scattering amplitude of pion-nucleon scattering has been determined at a pion energy of Tπ=55 MeV by measurement of the elastic scattering of positive and negative pions on protons within the Coulomb-nuclear interference region. The value confirms the prediction of the Karlsruhe-Helsinki phase-shift analysis for that energy. These phases have been used to determine the σ term of pion-nucleon scattering by means of dispersion relations, resulting in a value for σ which is in contradiction with chiral perturbation theory of QCD.

Elastic π−+p differential cross-section data are presented at the incident-pion momenta 1.72, 1.89, 2.07, 2.27 and 2.46 GeV/c. Resonant behaviour in the coefficients of a Legendre polynomial expansion indicates G- or H-wave resonance. Further analysis using an energy-dependent parametrization of G- and H-waves shows the results to be compatible with the 7−/2 assignment for the , but equally acceptable solutions are obtained with the inclusion of an additional 9+/2 resonance contribution.

Total and differential elastic cross-section data are presented at eight incident π+ momenta: 1.28, 1.34, 1.40, 1.43, 1.55, 1.68, 1.77, and 1.84 GeVc. These data were obtained from a hydrogen-bubble-chamber exposure at the Bevatron, and contain more than 65 000 events. This represents more than 1½ times the world's data hitherto available in this energy region.

Report on the investigation of interactions in π−p collisions at a pion momentum of 1.59 GeV/c, by means of the 50 cm Saclay liquid hydrogen bubble chamber, operating in a magnetic field of 17.5 kG. The results obtained concern essentially the elastic scattering and the inelastic scattering accompanied by the production of either a single pion in π−p→ pπ−π0 and nπ−π+ interactions, or by more than one pion in four-prong events. The observed angular distribution for the elastic scattering in the diffraction region, can be approximated by an exponential law. From the extrapolated value, thus obtained for the forward scattering, one gets σel= (9.65±0.30) mb. Effective mass spectra of π−π0 and π−π+ dipions are given in case of one-pion production. Each of them exhibits the corresponding ρ− or ρ0 resonances in the region of ∼ 29μ2 (μ = mass of the charged pion). The ρ peaks are particularly conspicuous for low momentum transfer (Δ2) events. The ρ0 distribution presents a secondary peak at ∼31μ2 due probably to the ω0 → π−π+ process. The branching ratio (ω0→ π+π−)/(ω0→ π+π− 0) is estimated to be ∼ 7%. The results are fairly well interpreted in the frame of the peripheral interaction according to the one-pion exchange (OPE) model, Up to values of Δ2/μ2∼10. In particular, the ratio ρ−/ρ0 is of the order of 0.5, as predicted by this model. Furthermore, the distribution of the Treiman-Yang angle is compatible with an isotropic one inside the ρ. peak. The distribution of\(\sigma _{\pi ^ + \pi ^ - } \), as calculated by the use of the Chew-Low formula assumed to be valid in the physical region of Δ2, gives a maximum which is appreciably lower than the value of\(12\pi \tilde \lambda ^2 = 120 mb\) expected for a resonant elastic ππ scattering in a J=1 state at the peak of the ρ. However, a correcting factor to the Chew-Low formula, introduced by Selleri, gives a fairly good agreement with the expected value. Another distribution, namely the Δ2 distribution, at least for Δ2 < 10 μ2, agrees quite well with the peripheral character of the interaction involving the ρ resonance. π− angular distributions in the rest frame of the ρ exhibit a different behaviour for the ρ− and for the ρ0. Whereas the first one is symmetrical, as was already reported in a previous paper, the latter shows a clear forward π− asymmetry. The main features of the four-prong results are: 1) the occurrence of the 3/2 3/2 (ρπ+) isobar in π−p → pπ+π−π− events and 2) the possible production of the ω0→ π+π−π0 resonance in π−p→ pπ−π+π−π0 events. No ρ’s were observed in four-prong events.

The reaction π−+p→π−+p has been studied in the 15-in. bubble chamber at the Princeton-Pennsylvania Accelerator. The elastic scattering cross section was determined to be 8.5 ± 0.2 mb. The forward peak fits to an exponential in t with a slope of 8.1 ± 0.2 (GeV/c)−2. The forward differential cross section dσdΩ(0)=17.9±0.7 mb/sr. A fit of the center-of-mass angular distribution to Legendre polynomials needed terms up to the 12th order, corresponding to the highest nonzero partial wave of L=6.

The elastic differential cross section for the scattering of negative pions by hydrogen was measured at laboratory-system pion kinetic energies of 230, 290, 370, and 427 Mev. The elastically scattered pions were detected by a counter telescope which discriminated against recoil protons and inelastic pions on the basis of range. Differential cross sections were obtained at nine angles for each energy and were fitted by a least-squares program to a series of Legendre polynomials. At the three higher energies, D waves are required to give satisfactory fits to the data. The real parts of the forward-scattering amplitudes calculated from this experiment are in agreement with the predictions of dispersion theory. The results of this experiment, in conjunction with data from other pion-nucleon scattering experiments, support the hypothesis of charge independence at these higher energies.

Results of a spark chamber experiment on elastic scattering of pions on protons are presented and analyzed. The processes studied were π+p at 2.92 GeV/c, and π−p at 3.15, 4.13, and 4.95 GeV/c. The data are fitted to an exponential function of the four-momentum transfer, t, in several different ways in attempts to explore systematic energy and angular dependences. No shrinkage of the diffraction peak is seen in comparing the coefficients of a linear exponential fit for |t|<0.4 (GeV/c)2; at larger |t|, however, the cross section falls off with increasing energy. The large-angle differential cross section is examined for structure and is compared with all other large angle scattering data. The results are compared with proton-proton scattering data over the same energy range and substantial differences between the two processes are evident.

A simple, large-solid-angle apparatus, specially suited for the measurement of backward elastic scattering of medium-energy pions on protons and deuterons, is described. The method of analysis which reduces background and determines elastic events from a data sample of 185 MeV negative pions incident on a D 2 O target is discussed. Results for 141 MeV π + p and 185 MeV π − p backward cross-sections are also presented and compared with cross-sections calculated from known phase shifts.