The polarization of the recoil proton at this energy depends on the interference of the P 33 phase shift with the P 11 and S 11 phase shifts. The measured values indicate the existence of a large P 11 phase shift. The polarization was measured by scattering from carbon blocks in spark chambers using a Vidicon scanner to record the data.

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.

Approximately 60 000 events have been collected in a spark chamber experiment at the CERN Proton Synchrotron which studied elastic diffraction scattering of π--p and p-p at incident momenta of 8.5, 12.4 and 18.4 GeV/c and of π+-p at 8.5 and 12.4 GeV/c. Magnetic analysis of the incoming and diffraction scattered particle, together with measurement of all angles, permitted each event to be determined as elastic subject to three constraints, so that the inelastic background was rejected with. high efficiency, even at the larger momentum, transfers. Much of the data have been processed by the CERN Automatic Flying-Spot DigitizerHPD. A detailed description of the experimental technique and of the methods of analysis is given. The results, together with data from lower energies, confirm the remarkable energy-independence of the shape of the pion-proton diffraction scattering peak up to |t| = 1.5 (GeV/c)2, wheret is the square of the four-momentum transfer, over a range of pion energies from 2 to 18 GeV. Proton-proton scattering does however appear to show a shrinking diffraction peak. In general, the data agree with other experiments using both counter and bubble chamber techniques, but some differences do appear. During the experiment, data were taken which set an upper limit of 2·102 μb/(GeV/c)2 on the differential elastic cross-section dσ/dt over a range of |t| from 20.9 to 23.4 (GeV/c)2 at 13.4 GeV/c incident pion momentum.

A 14-in. liquid-hydrogen-filled bubble chamber in a 17.5-kG magnetic field was exposed to a beam of negative pions produced by the Cosmotron at Brookhaven National Laboratory. About 26 000 pictures were taken and examined for the following final states: (1) elastic scattering (π−p); (2) π+ production (π−π+n); (3) π0 production (π−π0p); (4) neutrals. Values for the cross sections for these processes are σ(elastic)=17.56±0.43 mb, σ(π+)=7.14±0.23 mb, σ(π0)=4.65±0.17 mb. The elastic-scattering angular dependence in the c.m. system is fitted by a power-series expansion in cosθ and gives the following coefficients: a0=0.27±0.02, a1=1.48±0.11, a2=3.86±0.22, a3=−0.29±0.53, a4=−0.65±0.28, a5=1.69±0.52 (units: mb/sr). Cross sections for multiple-pion production were also measured: σ(π−π+π0n)=0.33±0.04 mb, σ(π−π+π−p)=0.08±0.02 mb. The total neutral cross section was σ(neutrals)=11.78±0.43 mb; the total charged events cross section was σ(charged)=29.76±0.69 mb; and the total cross section was σ(total)=41.54±0.82 mb. For single-pion production events, two-body mass distributions and angular distributions were compared with the predictions of the Olsson-Yodh isobar model.

A total of 1589 two-prong events were observed in an exposure of the Brookhaven National Laboratory 14-in. bubble chamber at the Cosmotron. The fit to the elastic angular distribution requires terms through cos4θc.m.. The ratio of the inelastic cross sections σ(π−p→π−π+n)σ(π−p→π−π0p) is 3.75±0.46. The π−p→π−π+n reaction is dominated by formation of the π−n isobar and an enhancement in the di-pion mass spectrum previously reported by Kirz. The π−p→π−π0p reaction shows no structure in the effective-mass spectra.

Single-pion production has been studied in the reactions π−p→π−π+n and π−p→π−π0p at 790, 830, and 870 MeV. A total of 4193 events in these two channels, divided approximately equally between the three energies, have been identified. The most interesting feature of the data is the tendency for events to concentrate at high values of mππ and low values of four-momentum transfer. These effects are discussed in terms of conventional isobar models and a model involving two-pion exchange. Partial cross sections for the reactions studied are reported for each energy.

Differential cross sections for elastic π±−p scattering have been measured at lab momenta of 8 and 12 GeV/c in a momentum-transfer region corresponding to 1.2≤−t≤6 (GeV/c)2. Also, differential cross sections near 180° were measured for 4 and 8 GeV/c pions. At momentum transfers greater than −t=2 (GeV/c)2, the π−p cross sections drop much faster with increasing angle than the corresponding p−p cross sections. Also, in the region −t≃1.3 (GeV/c)2, there is structure in the π−p angular distribution but not in the p−p angular distribution. At −t≃3 (GeV/c)2, the drop in cross section appears to stop and from then on the angular distribution is consistent with isotropy. But in the angular region 170° to 180°, the cross sections have become much larger, and sharp backward peaks are observed. Information is given on the energy and charge dependences and widths of these backward peaks.

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.

Meson production in π−p and π+n interactions at 1.7 GeV/c has been studied in two bubble-chamber exposures. Combined results are presented with emphasis on single-pion production (4300 events) which is dominated by the formation of the ρ0 meson in peripheral interactions, and on double-pion production (1100 events) which shows strong formation of the ω meson. These data are compared with the predictions of particle-exchange models, including absorption, and the effects of competing channels are discussed. Evidence for a two-pion decay mode of the ω is examined quantitatively. Processes with higher meson multiplicities are described.

An analysis of π−p two-prong interactions at 4.16 GeV/c is presented. The total two-prong cross section is 19.11±0.40 mb, based on 33 672 events. The elastic-scattering differential cross section shows an exponential behavior, Kexp(−AΔ2). With A=7.36±0.14 GeV−2, the "absorption parameters" are derived as C+=0.846±0.017 and γ+=0.040±0.001. The final-state π−π0p exhibits a strong ρ−, and the π−π+n a strong ρ0 and f0. The partial cross sections for the dominant resonant channels pρ−, π−Δ+(1236) (→pπ0), ρ0n, and f0n are 0.59±0.03, 0.17±0.01, 1.15±0.05, and 0.53±0.06 mb, respectively. The ρ− production and decay angular distributions do not agree with the predictions of the absorption-modified one-pion-exchange model. However, an inclusion of the contribution from ω exchange adequately accounts for the discrepancy. The ρ0 asymmetry is interpreted as a result of an interference of the resonant P wave and isospin-zero S wave, and the corresponding spin-density matrix elements are obtained. In the final state π−p+neutrals, a clear peak for the η meson and some evidence for the ω meson are seen.