Cross sections for resonance production in the reaction π±p → pπ±π+π− at 16 GeV/c, as obtained by a maximum likelihood fit: Aachen-Berlin-Bonn-CERN-Heidelberg Collaboration

Abstract Cross sections for resonance production in the reactions π ± p → p π ± π + π − at 16 GeV/ c are determined by a maximum likelihood fit, making use of the measurements of all individual events. The reactions are described by a simple parametrization based on an incoherent superposition of amplitudes for quasi two-body and quasi three-body processes and a non-resonant backgroud. In this way the reflections are accounted for in a consistent way. Thus cross sections are obtained for Δ ++ , Δ 0 , ρ 0 and f 0 production which do not suffer from the uncertainties of background subtraction typical of the usual technique of fitting individual mass distributions.