Two-Pion Production in Proton-Proton Collisions -- Experimental Total Cross Sections and their Isospin Decomposition

The two-pion production in pp-collisions has been investigated at CELSIUS in exclusive measurements from threshold up to $T_p$ = 1.36 GeV. Total and differential cross sections have been obtained for the channels $pn\pi^+\pi^0$, $pp\pi^+\pi^-$, $pp\pi^0\pi^0$ and also $nn\pi^+\pi^+$. For intermediate incident energies $T_p >$ 1 GeV, i.e. in the region which is beyond the Roper excitation but at the onset of $\Delta\Delta$ excitation, the total $pp\pi^0\pi^0$ cross section falls behind theoretical predictions by as much as an order of magnitude near 1.2 GeV, whereas the $nn\pi^+\pi^+$ cross section is a factor of five larger than predicted. An isospin decompostion of the total cross sections exhibits a s-channel-like energy dependence in the region of the Roper excitation as well as a significant contribution of an isospin 3/2 resonance other than the $\Delta(1232)$. As possible candidates the $\Delta(1600)$ and the $\Delta(1700)$ are discussed

Double-Pionic Fusion of Nuclear Systems and the ABCEffect -- Aproaching a Puzzle by Exclusive and Kinematically Complete Measurements

The ABC effect - a puzzling low-mass enhancement in the $\pi\pi$ invariant mass spectrum - is well-known from inclusive measurements of two-pion production in nuclear fusion reactions. Here we report on first exclusive and kinematically complete measurements of the most basic double pionic fusion reaction $pn \to d \pi^0\pi^0$ at 1.03 and 1.35 GeV. The measurements, which have been carried out at CELSIUS-WASA, reveal the ABC effect to be a $(\pi\pi)_{I=L=0}$ channel phenomenon associated with both a resonance-like energy dependence in the integral cross section and the formation of a $\Delta\Delta$ system in the intermediate state. A corresponding simple s-channel resonance ansatz provides a surprisingly good description of the data

Exclusive Measurements of pd→3Heππpd\to ^3He \pi\pi : the ABCABC Effect Revisited

Exclusive measurements of the reactions $pd\to$ $^3He \pi^+ \pi^-$ and $pd\to$ $^3He \pi^0\pi^0$ have been carried out at $T_p=0.895$ GeV at the CELSIUS storage ring using the WASA detector. The $\pi^+\pi^-$ channel evidences a pronounced enhancement at low invariant $\pi\pi$ masses - as anticipated from previous inclusive measurements of the ABC effect. This enhancement is seen to be even much larger in the isoscalar $\pi^0\pi^0$ channel. The differential distributions prove this enhancement to be of scalar-isoscalar nature. $\Delta\Delta$ calculations give a good description of the data, if a boundstate condition is imposed for the intermediate $\Delta\Delta$ system.Comment: extended version, 8 pages, 7 figures, theoretical model calculations adde

Exclusive Measurements of pp -> dpi+pi0: Double-Pionic Fusion without ABC Effect

Exclusive measurements of the reaction pp -> dpi+pi0 have been carried out at T_p = 1.1 GeV at the CELSIUS storage ring using the WASA detector. The isovector pi+pi0 channel exhibits no enhancement at low invariant pipi masses, i. e. no ABC effect. The differential distributions are in agreement with the conventional t-channel Delta-Delta excitation process, which also accounts for the observed energy dependence of the total cross section. This is an update of a previously published version -- see important note at the end of the article

Exclusive measurement of the pp to nn pi+ pi+ reaction at 1.1 GeV

First exclusive data for the pp -> nnp(+)pi(+) reaction have been obtained at CELSIUS with the WASA detector setup at a beam energy of T-p - 1.1 GeV. Total and differential cross-sections disagree with theoretical calculations, which predict the Delta Delta excitation to be the dominant process at this beam energy. Instead, the data require the excitation of one of the nucleons to a higher-lying Delta state, preferably the Delta(1600)P-33, to be the leading process

Interference-like patterns of static magnetic fields imprinted into polymer/nanoparticle composites

Interference of waves is important and used in many areas of science and technology but does not extend to static magnetic fields which lack the wave structure. On the other hand, magnetic fields can be spatially modulated using microstructured materials comprising magnetic and non-magnetic domains. Here, we show that when such spatial modulation is coupled to the dynamics of magnetic particles, it can give rise to interference-like patterns. These patterns are imprinted into thin polymer films by overlaying "stamps" presenting periodic arrays of magnetic and nonmagnetic regions. The structures that emerge from such a superposition are sensitive to any motions of the stamps, can depend on the history of these motions, can produce features significantly smaller than those in the stamps, and can be either planar or three-dimensional