The four-momentum transfer distributions of nucleons in π−p interactions at 16 GeV/ c

Abstract

Distributions of four-momentum transfer from target proton to nucleon, d σ/d t, for 16 GeV/ c π −p reactions giving in the final state 2 to 8 pions, are analysed in terms of the F( t) function, which gives the average t-dependence of the matrix element squared for the reaction in question. It is shown that this function has a shape similar to the squared pion propagator for the reactions containing 3 to 8 pions in the final state. The data for 8 GeV/ c π +p reactions give results qualitatively similar to those for 16 GeV/ c π −p.