Diffraction and resonance production in exclusive pp interactions at 100 GeV/c

We have investigated the reactions $\text{p}\text{p}\text{π}{}^{\mathrm{+}}\text{π}{}^{\mathrm{?}}\text{a}\text{?}\text{and}\text{p}\text{p}\text{a}\text{?}\text{p}\text{p}\text{2π}{}^{\mathrm{+}}\text{2π}{}^{\mathrm{?}}\text{at}\text{100}\text{GeV}\text{/c}$. The $\text{p}\text{p}\text{π}{}^{\mathrm{+}}\text{π}{}^{\mathrm{?}}$ final state is dominated by diffractive production of a $\text{p}\text{π}{}^{\mathrm{+}}\text{π}{}^{\mathrm{?}}\text{(}\text{or}\text{p}\text{π}{}^{\mathrm{+}}\text{π}{}^{\mathrm{?}}\text{)}$ system which shows a strong tendency to form $\text{Δ}{}^{\mathrm{++}}\text{π}{}^{\mathrm{?}}\text{(}\text{or}\text{Δ}{}^{\mathrm{++}}\text{π}{}^{\mathrm{+}}\text{)}$. The process $\text{p}\text{p}\text{a}\text{?}\text{Δ}{}^{\mathrm{++}}\text{Δ}{}^{\mathrm{++}}$ is also observed in this reaction, indicating an energy dependence of s^?1.5±0.1. The $\text{p}\text{p}\text{2π}{}^{\mathrm{+}}\text{2π}{}^{\mathrm{?}}$ channel shows less single diffraction, and has a doubly diffractive component consistent with pomeron factorization. Strong Δ⁺⁺(Δ⁺⁺) production is agoain seen, but in contrast to the $\text{p}\text{p}\text{π}{}^{\mathrm{+}}\text{π}{}^{\mathrm{?}}$ channel we also observe considerable ?⁰ production.