Abstract
Measurements of the pion-proton total cross section over a range of kinetic energies from 0.45 to 1.9 Bev are described. Positive pions were distinguished from protons of the same momentum by a time-of-flight technique. A liquid hydrogen absorber was used for most of the measurements. Muons, the principal beam contamination, were approximately 10% of the pions.
A pronounced maximum for near 0.9 Bev, which had been noted in our preliminary measurements, is confirmed by data presented here. If this maximum is to be interpreted as a resonance in a single state of angular momentum, the analysis shows that, after subtracting a term which can reasonably be attributed to nonresonant states, the total angular momentum could be as low as without serious disagreement with experimental data. The possibility of explaining this maximum with a resonant pion-pion interaction as conjectured by Dyson and Takeda is discussed. The measurements of also give evidence for the existence of a maximum of relatively smaller amplitude at 1.35 Bev.
The differential cross section in the forward direction for elastic and charge-exchange scattering of pions by protons have been obtained by making use of the dispersion relations.
- Received 30 April 1956
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRev.103.1082
©1956 American Physical Society