Pion scattering and absorption contributions to proton emission from pion-nucleus collisions atTπ=50295MeV

Abstract
Proton spectra of He3,4(π±, p) and Al27(π±, p) have been measured at θp=20° for Tπ=50, 100, 150, 200, and, 250 MeV, and at θp=20° and 40° for Tπ=295 MeV. A small contributor to these spectra is the exclusive pion absorption reaction for which the cross section of He4(π+, p)He3 is reported. Major contributions are identified to come from quasifree πNπp scattering and πNNNp absorption for which cross sections are also reported. The quasifree cross sections are compared with those of the free reactions πNπp and πdpp. We use these results to assess the contribution of quasifree reactions to the total reaction cross section. The comparison of the quasifree πNNNp reaction relative to πdpp is discussed in terms of differences in the attenuation and the dynamics of the reactions. This information is of interest for the phenomenological interpretation of complex reactions such as the two-nucleon absorption model of He3(π, n)H2, He4(π, n)H3, and He4(π+, p)He3 in which πdpp is assumed to be an elementary process. This experiment also provides information on the cross section of πpppn from which we determine the dependence of pion absorption on the isospin of the initial NN state.