π-p interactions at 720 MeV

Abstract

The interactions of 720 MeV negative pions with protons were investigated using pictures from the 35 cm Saclay hydrogen bubble chamber. Partial cross-sections were determined with the following results: σ(elastic)=13.2±0.5) mb, σ(π−pπ0)=(5.25±0.30) mb, σ(π−π+n)=()7.17±0.35) mb σ (neutrals)=(9.9±0.7) mb, σ (2π production)=(1.03±0.13) mb. The elastic-scattering angular distribution was fitted with a fifth-order polynomial in cos θ*π which shows the effect of a significantF5/2-D5/2 interference contribution and predicts a value for (dσ/dΩ) (0°) in agreement with dispersion theory. For both single-π production channels, the two-body effective mass plots and c.m. angular distributions are presented, discussed and compared with the predictions from phase-space, the Olsson-Yodh isobar model and the pole model of isobar production. TheN*(3/2, 3/2) isobar is seen to play an important role in the ππN final states, but the agreement of the data with the existing isobar models and their assumptions is not satisfactory. A comparison of the different two-pion production cross-sections π−pπ−π+, π−pπ0π0 and π−π+nπ0 suggests a strong contribution of π−p→η0n to the π−π+nπ0 final state. An upper limit for σ(π−p→η0n) of (3.0±0.4) mb was obtained.