Zero-degree measurements of the inclusive reactionnp→pXin the energy range 400 to 800 MeV

Abstract

Differential cross sections $\frac{{d}^{2}\ensuremath{\sigma}}{\mathrm{dpd}\ensuremath{\Omega}}$ have been measured near 0\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{} for the inclusive reaction $\mathrm{np}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}\mathrm{pX}$, where $X$ represents all possible combinations of pions and nucleons. Proton momentum spectra have been measured at average incident-neutron-momentum values from 950 to 1430 MeV/c in 60-MeV/c steps. Experimental results are compared with a field-theoretical peripheral model based on one-pion and $\ensuremath{\rho}$-meson exchange with nucleon-nucleon and nucleon-$\ensuremath{\Delta}$ intermediate states. The predictions of the model are in excellent agreement with the data, indicative that the $\mathrm{np}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}\mathrm{pX}$ reaction is dominated by the $p{\ensuremath{\Delta}}^{0}$ channel over the whole energy range of measurements.