The reaction γ V p → p π + π − was studied in the W , Q 2 region 1.3–2.8 GeV, 0.3–1.4 GeV 2 using the streamer chamber at DESY. A detailed analysis of rho production via γ V p→ ϱ 0 p is presented. Near threshold rho production has peripheral and non-peripheral contributions of comparable magnitude. At higher energies ( W > 2 GeV) the peripheral component is dominant. The Q 2 dependence of σ ( γ V p→ ϱ 0 p) follows that of the rho propagator as predicted by VDM. The slope of d σ /d t at 〈 Q 2 〉 = 0.4 and 0.8 GeV 2 is within errors equal to its value at Q 2 = 0. The overall shape of the ϱ 0 is t dependent as in photoproduction, but is independent of Q 2 . The decay angular distribution shows that longitudinal rhos dominate in the threshold region. At higher energies transverse rhos are dominant. Rho production by transverse photons proceeds almost exclusively by natural parity exchange, σ T N ⩾ (0.83 ± 0.06) σ T for 2.2 < W < 2.8 GeV. The s -channel helicity-flip amplitudes are small compared to non-flip amplitudes. The ratio R = σ L / σ T was determined assuming s -channel helicity conservation. We find R = ξ 2 Q 2 / M ϱ 2 with ξ 2 ≈ 0.4 for 〈 W 〉 = 2.45 GeV. Interference between rho production amplitudes from longitudinal and transverse photons is observed. With increasing energy the phase between the two amplitudes decreases. The observed features of rho electroproduction are consistent with a dominantly diffractive production mechanism for W > 2 GeV.

The average multiplicities 〈 n c 〉 and 〈n〉, of charged-plus-neutral pions produced in e + e − collisions, have been determined for total center-of-mass energies ranging from 1.2 to 2.4 GeV. No appreciable multiplicity variation is observed over this energy range, where the mean values 〈; n c 〉 = 3.3 +0.3 −0.2 and 〈 n 〉 = 4.4 +0.4 −0.2 are found.

Multihadron production by electron-positron colliding beams has been investigated for total centre-of-mass energies ranging from 1.2 to 2.4 GeV. The total cross-section, σtot ≡ σ(e+e−→π+π−+ + anything), is of the order of σμμ ≡ σ(e+e−→μ+μ−), with a threshold near 1 GeV. Partial cross-sections for the various channels are also derived. The cross-section of the specific channel e+e−→π+π−π+π− exhibits an energy dependence which is suggestive of a heavier vector meson, ρ' (mρ,≈ 1.6 GeV,Гρ, ≈ 350 Mev), having the same quantum numbers as the ρ-meson. An upper limit is given for the coupling constantfρ′ (fρ′/4π<18, wherefρ′=mρ′2e/gγρ′). Final states withG+ parity are found to be much more abundant than those withG− parity. The average multiplicity (charged plus neutral final-state pions) is found to be betweet 4 and 5 over all the energy range explored.

We have observed 1085 events of the type e + e − → hadrons, in the total centre-of-mass energy range √ s = 1.2 to 3.0 GeV. The energy dependence of the total annihilation cross-section, parametrized in the form σ ( e + e − → hadrons ) = A · s n , is measured to be n = -(1.54 −0.29 +0.17 ) in the above energy range.

The total cross section of γ rays in hydrogen resulting in hadron production, σT, has been measured over the energy range 265-4215 MeV. A tagging system with narrow energy bins was employed. Structure in the resonance region followed by a steady fall with energy has been observed and the results are analyzed. The forward amplitude of γ-proton scattering is evaluated, and its behavior in the Argand diagram studied as a function of energy. The relationships of the measurements to Regge-pole theory and the vector-dominance model are detailed.

The total cross section for photoproduction of hadrons on the deutron, σ T d , has been measured for photon energies in the range 0.265–40215 GeV. From this, using results for the photon total cross section, obtained previously with the same apparatus, the neutron total cross section has been determined in the resonance region. The resonant structure is found to be quite different from that for the proton. Thereafter the neutron cross section falls off steadily with energy, and the values obtained are consistently lower than those for the proton. Forward scattering amplitudes have been evaluated for the deuteron.

The differential cross sections for γ p→ π + n from hydrogen and the π − π + ratios from deuterium were measured at nine c.m. angles between 30° and 150° for laboratory photon energies between 260 and 800 MeV. A magnetic spectrometer with three layers of scintillation hodoscope was used to detect charged π mesons. The cross section for γ n→ π − p was obtained as a product of d σ d Ω (γ p →π + n ) and the π − π + ratio. The overall features in the cross sections of the two reactions, γ p→ π + n and γ n→ π − p, and in the ratios, π − π + , agree with predictions by Moorhouse, Oberlack and Rosenfeld, and Metcalf and Walker. An investigation of the possible existence of an isotensor current was made and a negative result was found. In detailed balance comparison with the new results on the inverse reaction π − p→ γ n, no apparent violation of time-reversal invariance was observed.

The total cross sections of π± on protons in the momentum interval from 0.40 to 0.90 GeV/c have been measured with high relative precision. In this interval the statistical error varies between 10 and 20 μb. No new structure is observed.

Differential cross sections for elastic π−p scattering were measured at eight energies for positive pions and seven energies for negative pions. Energies ranged from 310 to 650 MeV. These measurements were made at the 3-GeV proton synchrotron at Saclay, France. A beam of pions from an internal BeO target was directed into a liquid-hydrogen target. Fifty-one scintillation counters and a matrix-coincidence system were used to measure simultaneously elastic events at 21 angles and charged inelastic events at 78 π−p angle pairs. Events were detected by coincidence of pulses indicating the presence of an incident pion, scattered pion, and recoil proton, and the results were stored in the memory of a pulse-height analyzer. Various corrections were applied to the data and a least-squares fit was made to the results at each energy. The form of the fitting function was a power series in the cosine of the center-of-mass angle of the scattered pion. Integration under the fitted curves gave values for the total elastic cross sections (without charge exchange). The importance of certain angular-momentum states is discussed. The π−−p data are consistent with a D13 resonant state at 600 MeV, but do not necessarily require such a resonant state.

Total cross sections for negative pions on protons were measured at laboratory energies of 230, 290, 370, 427, and 460 Mev. The measurements were made in the same pion beams as and at energies identical with those of our π−−p differential scattering experiments. Comparisons of the total and differential scattering can be made with the dispersion theory at a given energy without introducing the systematic errors that would normally enter due to uncertainties in the parameters of more than one pion beam. The measured total cross sections are found to agree within statistics with other measured values, and with the sums of elastic, inelastic, and charge-exchange cross sections measured at this laboratory. The results are: