A search for J^{PC}=1^{-+} exotic mesons in the π^- π^- π^+ and π^- π^0 π^0 systems

A partial wave analysis (PWA) of the \pi^-\pi^-\pi^+ and \pi^-\pi^0\pi^0$ systems produced in the reaction \pi^- p \to (3\pi)^-p at 18 GeV/c was carried out using an isobar model assumption. This analysis is based on 3.0M \pi^-\pi^0\pi^0 events and 2.6M \pi^-\pi^-\pi^+ events and shows production of the a_2(1320), \pi_2(1670) and \pi(1800) mesons. An earlier analysis of 250K \pi^-\pi^-\pi^+ events from the same experiment showed possible evidence for a $J^{PC}=1^{-+}$ exotic meson with a mass of 1.6 GeV/c^2 decaying into \rho \pi. In this analysis of a higher statistics sample of the (3\pi)^- system in two charged modes we find no evidence of an exotic meson.