Manifestation of the $P$-wave diproton resonance in single-pion production in $pp$ collisions

Abstract

It is demonstrated that many important features of single-pion production in $pp$ collisions at intermediate energies ($T_p \simeq 400$-$800$ MeV) can naturally be explained by supposing excitation of intermediate diproton resonances in $pp$ channels ${}^1D_2$, ${}^3F_3$ and ${}^3P_2$, in addition to conventional mechanisms involving an intermediate $\Delta$-isobar. We predict for the first time the crucial role of the ${}^3P_2$ diproton resonance, found in recent experiments on the single-pion production reaction $pp \to pp({}^1S_0) \pi^0$, in reproducing the proper behavior of spin-correlation parameters in the reaction $pp \to d \pi^+$ which were poorly described by conventional meson-exchange models to date. The possible quark structure of the $P$-wave diproton resonances is also discussed.