First exclusive data for the $pp to nnpi^+pi^+$ 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 $DeltaDelta$ excitation to be the dominant process at this beam energy. Instead the data require the excitation of a higher-lying $Delta$ state, most likely the $Delta(1600)$, to be the leading process.
The transverse spin correlations A_{x,x} and A_{y,y} have been measured in the pol{d} pol{p} -> p_spec {pp}_s pi- reaction at COSY-ANKE at 353 MeV per nucleon. Here {pp}_s denotes a proton-proton pair with low excitation energy, which is dominantly in the 1S0 state. By measuring three protons in the final state it was possible to extract events where there was a spectator proton p_spec so that the reaction could be interpreted in terms of quasi-free pol{n} pol{p} -> {pp}_s pi-. The proton analyzing power in this reaction was also deduced from this data set by averaging over the polarization of the deuteron beam. The values of A_y^p were shown to be consistent with a refined analysis of our earlier results obtained with a polarized proton incident on a deuterium target. Taking these data in combination with our earlier measurements of the differential cross sections and analyzing powers in the pol{p} p -> {pp}_s pi^0 reaction, a more robust partial wave decomposition was achieved. Three different acceptable solutions were found and the only way of resolving this ambiguity without further theoretical input would be through a measurement of the mixed spin-correlation parameter A_{x,z}.
In order to establish links between p-wave pion production in nucleon-nucleon collisions and low energy three-nucleon scattering, an extensive programme of experiments on pion production is currently underway at COSY-ANKE. The final proton pair is measured at very low excitation energy, leading to an S-wave diproton, denoted here as {pp}_s. By using a deuterium target we have obtained data on the differential cross section and analysing power of the quasi-free pol{p}n -> {pp}_s pi^- reaction at 353 MeV. The spectator proton p_sp was either measured directly in silicon tracking telescopes or reconstructed using the momentum of a detected pi^-. Both observables can be described in terms of s-, p-, and d-wave pion production amplitudes. Taken together with the analogous data on the pol{p}p -> {pp}_s pi^0 reaction, full partial wave decompositions of both processes were carried out.
In pp collisions at 1.25 GeV kinetic energy, the HADES collaboration aimed at investigating the di-electron production related to $Delta$ (1232) Dalitz decay ($Delta^+ to pe^+e^-$). In order to constrain the models predicting the cross section and the production mechanisms of $Delta$ resonance, the hadronic channels have been measured and studied in parallel to the leptonic channels. The analyses of $ppto nppi^+$ and $ppto pppi^0$ channels and the comparison to simulations are presented in this contribution, in particular the angular distributions being sensitive to $Delta$ production and decay. The accurate acceptance corrections have been performed as well, which could be tested in all the phase space region thanks to the high statistic data. These analyses result in an overall agreement with the one-$pi$ exchange model and previous data.
The cross section for prompt neutral and charged three pion production in pp interactions was measured at excess energies in the range 160 - 217 MeV. That comprises the first measurement of the pp->pp pi0pi0pi0 reaction and the comparison with the pp->pp pi+pi-pi0 reaction, in a very direct way. The experiment was performed above the eta meson production threshold and the cross section normalization was obtained from a concurrent measurement of the reaction pp->pp eta with the eta decaying into 3 pions. Since the same final states are selected, the measurement has a low systematical error. The measured cross section ratio sigma(pp->pp pi+pi-pi0)/sigma(pp->pp pi0pi0pi0) is compared to predictions of dominance of different isobars in the intermediate state.
Narrow structures in the range of a few MeV have been searched for in p p pi+ and p p pi- invariant mass spectra obtained from exclusive measurements of the p p -> p p pi+ pi- reaction at Tp = 725, 750 and 775 MeV using the PROMICE/WASA detector at CELSIUS. The selected reaction is particularily well suited for the search for NN and / or N Delta decoupled dibaryon resonances. Except for a possible fluctuation at 2087 MeV/c^2 in Mpppi- no narrow structures could be identified neither in Mpppi+ nor in Mpppi- on the 3 sigma level of statistical significance, giving an upper limit (95% C.L.) for dibaryon production in this reaction of sigma < 20 nb for 2020 MeV/c^2 < m(dibaryon) < 2085 MeV/c^2