Elastic cross-section measurements are presented for π ± −p at 20 GeV/ c and π − −p at 30 GeV/ c incident momenta in the large angle region (50° to 90° in the c.m. system). The data are compared with published lower energy elastic cross sections. A test is made of the dimensional counting rules for π ± −p elastic scattering and some indication of a deviation from this rule is observed in the π − −p case. A comparison is also made with the predictions of the constituent interchange model. Although the broad features of the predictions are confirmed, there are some important discrepancies. Finally, the predictions of the model due to Preparata and Soffer are also compared with the new data.

Results are presented from experiment WA7 at the CERN SPS, which has measured the elastic differential cross sections of π ± p, K ± p, p p and pp at incident momen ta of 20, 30 and 50 GeV/ c . The measurements cover the momentum transfer range 0.5 < | t | < 8 (GeV/ c ) 2 , corresponding to c.m. scattering angles between 10° and 50°. The experimental set-up, trigger logic and data analysis are described. The experimental results are compared with existing meson-proton and nucleon-proton data at lower and higher energies covering the medium- and large-| t | region. Some prominent models and their predictions for elastic scattering at WA7 energies and beyond are reviewed, with emphasis on geometrical scaling, factorizing eikonal models, lowest-order QCD and other dynamical exchange-type models. Results for p p two-body annihilation into π − π + and K − K + at 30 and 50 GeV/ c , obtained in parallel with the elastic p p data, are also presented.

A description is given of an experiment to study elastic scattering of π ± , K ± and p on protons at c.m. scattering angles from 45° to 100° at incident laboratory momenta 20 GeV/ c and 30 GeV/ c . The corresponding t range is from −6.2 (GeV/ c ) 2 to −28 (GeV/ c ) 2 . There are no previous observations for these reactions in this t range. High intensity and large geometrical acceptance were required in order to measure the low cross sections. The experiment used a double-arm spectrometer. MWPCs were used for reconstruction, and threshold and differential Čerenkov counters for identification. Scintillation counters, Čerenkov counters and a hadron calorimeter were used in the trigger. The trigger logic utilized specially designed matrices and a hard wired microprocessor. The π − p elastic scattering cross sections follow approximately the dimensional counting rule from 3.5 GeV/ c .and up to 30 GeV/ c . The cross sections decrease by seven orders of magnitude in this energy range. The data is compared to quark models. None of these models give a comprehensive description of the results. However, some modifications to these models improve their consistency with the data.

Measurements of the differential elastic cross sections for π − p scattering at incident momenta of 20 and 50 GeV c and π + p at 50 GeV c in the momentum transfer range 0.7 < |t|; < 8.0 ( GeV c ) 2 are presented. The data are compared with various models of elastic scattering.

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 ratio of π+p to pp elastic scattering is found to be smoothly varying over the range −t=0.03 to 0.4 GeV2. It is well fitted by a single exponential, indicating the forward behavior must be quite similar for the two reactions.

The differential cross sections for the elastic scattering of π+, π−, K+, K−, p, and p¯ on protons have been measured in the t interval -0.04 to -0.75 GeV2 at five momenta: 50, 70, 100, 140, and 175 GeV/c. The t distributions have been parametrized by the quadratic exponential form dσdt=Aexp(B|t|+C|t|2) and the energy dependence has been described in terms of a single-pole Regge model. The pp and K+p diffraction peaks are found to shrink with α′∼0.20 and ∼0.15 GeV−2, respectively. The p¯p diffraction peak is antishrinking while π±p and K−p are relatively energy-independent. Total elastic cross sections are calculated by integrating the differential cross sections. The rapid decline in σel observed at low energies has stopped and all six reactions approach relatively constant values of σel. The ratio of σelσtot approaches a constant value for all six reactions by 100 GeV, consistent with the predictions of the geometric-scaling hypothesis. This ratio is ∼0.18 for pp and p¯p, and ∼0.12-0.14 for π±p and K±p. A crossover is observed between K+p and K−p scattering at |t|∼0.19 GeV2, and between pp and p¯p at |t|∼0.11 GeV2. Inversion of the cross sections into impact-parameter space shows that protons are quite transparent to mesons even in head-on collisions. The probability for a meson to pass through a proton head-on without interaction inelastically is ∼20% while it is only ∼6% for an incident proton or antiproton. Finally, the results are compared with various quark-model predictions.

Results are presented on π + p and K + p elastic scattering at 250 GeV/ c , the highest momentum so far reached for positive meson beams. The experiment (NA22) was performed with the european hybrid spectrometer. The π + p elastic cross section stays constant with energy while the K + p cross section increases.

The polarization parameter P has been measured for elastic π + p, K + p and pp scattering at 45 GeV/c. Four-momentum transfer ranges from −0.08 to −1.1 (GeV/) 2 for pp, and from −0.08 to −0.9 (GeV/) 2 for π + p and K + p. The energy dependence of the polarization P ( t ) in π + p and in K + p above 6 GeV/c incident momentum is compatible with interference between pomeron and Regge poles. On the other hand, the polarization in p p elastic scattering decreases faster than ordinary Regge model predictions. This result can be explained by interference between non flip and flip amplitudes of the pomeron, leading to negative values for the polarization.

The spin rotation sf R in pp and π + p elastic scattering at 45 GeV/c has been measured at the Seppukhov accelarator, for z . sfnc ; t |; ranging from 0.2 to 0.5 (GeV/) 2 . The results are presented, together with previous R measurements at lower energies. The equality of the values for R in proton-proton and pion-proton scattering, within the experimental errors, is a test of factorization of the residues in the pomeron exchange.

We report final results on the polarization parameter P in elastic scattering of π − , K − and antiprotons at 40 GeV/ c incident momentum. The energy dependence of P (t) in π − p above 10 GeV/ c is well fitted by P (t) α s αR(t)-α P (t) where α R (t) are the effective Regge and Pomeron trajectories respectively. The data in K − p are compatible with exchange degeneracy. The results inp¯p show an important structure for |t|> 0.3 (GeV/c) 2 demonstrating the existence of a large helicity flip amplitude.

We report our first measurements of the polarization in the elastic scattering of negative pions from polarized protons at an incident pion momentum of 40 GeV/ c . The momentum-transfer region covered was 0.08 < | t | < 1.3 (GeV/ c ) 2 . The angular distribution of the polarization exhibits a first minimum of ∼ − 5% and the well-known zero around t ≈ − 0.6 (GeV/ c ) 2 . The energy variation of the first minimum (at around t = − 0.2) may be expressed in a simple form, P avr = −(0.48±0.06) s −0.52±0.05 .

The spin rotation parameter R has been measured for elastic π − p scattering at 40 GeV/ c , at four momentum transfers t ranging from −0.19 to −0.52 (GeV/ c ) 2 . The average value within this interval is R π − p = -0.200± 0.023. The resulting constraints on the πN scattering amplitudes are discussed. The experiments also yields an average value for K − p scattering, R K − p scattering, R K − p = -0.16±0.16.

Analyzing powers for πp elastic scattering were measured using the CHAOS spectrometer at energies spanning the Δ(1232) resonance. This work presents π+ data at the pion kinetic energies 117, 130, 139, 155, 169, 180, 193, 218, 241, and 267 MeV and π− data at 87, 117, 193, and 241 MeV, covering an angular range of 50°<~θc.m.<~180° at the higher energies and 90°<~θc.m.<~180° at the lower energies. Unique features of the spectrometer acceptance were employed to reduce systematic errors. Single-energy phase shift analyses indicate the resulting S11 and S31 phases favor the results of the SM95 phase shift analysis over that of the older KH80 analysis.

Elastic differential cross sections were measured at 6 energies between 2.3 and 6 BeVc for π++p and π−+p. The behavior of the secondary peak as a function of energy and charge is shown. Evidence for considerable resonance structure is seen in the angular distributions.

A total of 24 360 events having two charged particles in the final state from π−+p interactions at an incident π− momentum of 2.7 GeVc have been analyzed. The final states π−π+n and π−π0p are found to be dominated by rho-meson production, and in addition, significant N*(1238) production is seen. The partial cross sections for the dominant resonant channels are σ=(pρ−)=(1.3±0.2) mb, σ(nρ0)=(2.3±0.2) mb, and σ[π−N*+(→pπ0)]=(0.5±0.2) mb. The production of the ρ− and ρ0 and the decay of the ρ− agree very well with the predictions of an absorption-modified one-pion-exchange model. The production angular distributions of the ρ0 and ρ− follow an exponential of the form Ae+Bt. The results from a least-squares fit give B(ρ−)=9.32±0.08 (GeVc)−2, B(ρ0)=10.26±0.06 (GeVc)−2. A similar analysis for the elastic-scattering events gave B(el)=7.77±0.05 (GeVc)−2. The ρ0 decay distributions are asymmetric and they have been analyzed using a simple model which includes S−P-wave interference. No clear evidence is seen for a T=0, J=0 resonance at a mass near that of the ρ. The N*(1238) resonance production is found to be in agreement with the ρ-exchange model of Stodolsky and Sakurai. Indication of other resonance production with small cross section is seen, such as A1 and A2 production in the multiple missing neutral events. The masses and widths of the ρ0 and ρ− as a function of the four-momentum transfer squared to the nucleon have been determined.

The differential cross section for elastic scattering of 3.63−GeVc π− mesons on protons was studied with a hydrogen bubble chamber, the emphasis being on large-angle scattering. From 90 to 180° in the barycentric system, the cross section is roughly flat with an average value of 2.7±1.0 μb/sr. Near and at 180°, there may be a slight peak of magnitude 10±6 μb/sr. But if such a peak exists, it is only one-third to one-fourth the size of the 180° peak found in 4.0 GeVc π++p elastic scattering. In addition to comparison with other π−+p and π++p large-angle elastic-scattering measurements, this measurement is compared with large-angle p+p elastic scattering. In the forward hemisphere a small peak or a plateau exists at cos θ*=+0.60. This appears to be a second diffraction maximum such as has been found in lower-energy π+p elastic scattering. A survey of indications of such a second diffraction maximum in other π+p measurements shows that it always occurs in the vicinity of −t=1.2 (GeVc)2, where t is the square of the four-momentum transfer. As the incident momentum increases, the relative size of this second maximum decreases.

Interactions of 2.08−BeVc positive pions with protons have been studied using the 20-in. hydrogen bubble chamber and the alternating gradient synchrotron at Brookhaven National Laboratory. Using 3000 elastic and 8000 inelastic events, the partial cross sections for elastic scattering and for meson production have been measured. The ρ+, ρ0, ω0, and η0 resonances are produced strongly and emerge predominantly in the forward direction in the center-of-mass system, suggesting a peripheral mechanism for their production. The possibility of explaining these reactions by specific particle-exchange models is investigated. More than 75% of the ρ0, ω0, and η0 are produced with the N33* (1238) isobar. The N* (1688) is produced in about one-third of the π+π+N final states. Cross sections for production of ρ+p, π+pω, N33*ω, π+pη, N33*η, π+pρ0, N33*ρ0, N15*π+, and N33*π0, are given. A1, B, φ, and X mesons are not observed.

The elastic scattering of 3.55 GeV/ c π + and π − mesons by protons was measured at centre-of-mass angles between 165° and 177°. The angular distributions for 864 events show a steeply rising backward peak for π + p, while the shape is less clear for π − p.

The polarization in π + p → π + p and K + p → K + p has been measured at 6 and 12 GeV/ c in the four-momentum transfer interval 0.1 ⩽ | t | ⩽ 2.0 (GeV/ c ) 2 by scattering on protons of a polarized deuteron target. Comparison with existing results obtained with polarized proton targets shows good general agreement and no evidence for asymmetry effects due to the presence of the spectator neutron. For K + p elastic scattering polarization the experiment yields improved statistics, especially at 6 GeV/ c

The differential cross sections for elastic π − p, K − p , p p and π + p, pp scattering at 39 and 44.5 GeV/ c , respectively, have been measured in the interval of momentum transfer squared 0.15 ≤ ovbt | ≤ 2 (GeV/ c ) 2 .