Pion absorption on He-3 at low energies

Abstract

The reactions 3He(π+,pp)p and 3He(π-,pn)n were studied at 37.0 MeV by coincidence detection of two nucleons. The differential cross sections were separated to two-nucleon (σ2N), three-nucleon (σ3N), and final-state interaction (σFSI) components. For π+, the σ2N angular distribution is symmetric about 90°, and the total cross section is 1.5 times the cross section measured for d(π+,pp). For π-, the angular distribution is asymmetric (backward peaked). The asymmetry increases with decreasing energy, indicating increasing pion s-wave contribution at lower energies. The fraction of the cross section induced by s-wave pions as calculated by a partial wave amplitude analysis is 13%. The measured t..