Diffraction dissociation in the final state ppπ+π− at 12 GeV/c

Abstract In a study of 4.7 k events of the reaction p p → p p π + π − at 12 GeV/ c a cross section of 0.57±0.04 mb and a slope of the t distribution of 14.8±1.5 GeV/ c −2 for − t 2 are obtained for the diffraction dissociation p → p π + π − . This slope agrees with the slope of the t distribution for elastic p p scattering. Also the energy behaviour of diffraction dissociation is similar to the energy behaviour of elastic p p scattering. A comparison is made with the analogous reactions in pp interactions.