A systematic experimental study of inclusive pion double charge exchange in 4He has been undertaken. The reaction 4He(pi+,pi-)4p was observed at incident energies 120, 150, 180, 240 and 270 MeV; the 4He(pi-,pi+)4n reaction was observed at incident energies 180 and 240 MeV. At each incident energy, the doubly differential cross section was measured at three to five outgoing pion laboratory angles between 25 deg and 130 deg. At each angle, cross sections were measured over the range of outgoing pion energies from 10 MeV up to the kinematic limit for the reaction in which the final state consists of the oppositely charged pion plus four free nucleons. The spectra of outgoing pions are strikingly different from those observed for the inclusive double charge exchange reaction in heavier nuclei, but resemble those observed in the (pi-,pi+) reaction in 3He. The forward-angle spectra in the 3He and 4He reactions exhibit a prominent peak at high outgoing pion energies. Interpretation of the peaks in 3He (4He) as a three- (four-)nucleon resonance is ruled out by kinematic analysis. The results of a calculation, wherein the double charge exchange reaction is assumed to proceed as two sequential single charge exchange interactions, suggest that the high-energy peak is naturally explained by this double scattering mechanism. Non-static treatment of the pi-N interactions and the inclusion of nuclear binding effects appear to be important in reproducing the shape of the energy spectra at forward angles.
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