Experimental analysis of pp interactions between 0 and 1.2 GeV/c: Evidence for a pp → 5π effect near 1950 MeV/c2

Abstract An experimental analysis of p p interactions between the p p threshold (√ s = 1878 MeV) and √ s = 2 100 MeV leads to clear evidence for an s -channel effect in the reaction p p → π + π − π + π − π 0 at 1949 ± 10 MeV /c 2 (Γ ⋍ 80 MeV /c 2 ) . A comparison is made with the backward elastic scattering and charge-exchange behaviour. An interpretation in terms of an object strongly coupled to mesonic decay modes, with small or middle-sized elasticity ( x ⩽ 0.135 −0.06 +0.13 ) is given. No significant narrow structure is observed in the backward elastic scattering between 1.9 and 2 GeV. The experimental resolution of √ s in this case is 2 MeV.