Decay of Polarized Delta

Abstract

The resonance $\Delta(1232)$ with spin-parity ${3 \over 2}^+$, which contributes dominantly to the reactions like $\gamma N \to \pi N$ and $NN \to NN\pi$ at intermediate energies, may be expected to be produced in characteristically different polarized spin states. As such an analysis of the decay of polarized delta is presented, which may be utilized to probe empirically the production mechanism. It is shown that measurements of the angular distributions of the pion and the polarization of the nucleon arising out of ${\vec{\Delta}}$ decay can determine empirically the Fano statistical tensors characterizing the ${\vec{\Delta}}$.