Multiple Pion Production in 5.5-GeV/c π−p Interactions

About 2000 six-prong events and 130 eight-prong events from an exposure in the Brookhaven 80-in. bubble chamber were analyzed. Production of ${\ensuremath{\Delta}}^{++}(1238)$, ${\ensuremath{\Delta}}^{\ensuremath{-}}(1238)$, and ${\ensuremath{\omega}}^{0}$ resonances was observed. The distribution of ${\ensuremath{\Delta}}^{++}$ and ${\ensuremath{\omega}}^{0}$ as a function of four-momentum transfer was similar to that of background. Center-of-mass angular distributions of the nucleons and pions were examined. The nucleons were peaked backward and the pions were essentially isotropic with a slight forward peaking in the ${\ensuremath{\pi}}^{+}$ case.