s-and t-channel helicity conservation of pion induced nucleon diffraction dissociation at 3.9 GeV/c and the implications of a two-component model

A study of schannel and t-channel helicity conservation has been carried out on a prism plot separated sample of 3.9 GeV/cπ^±p → π (Nπ)_dd diffraction dissociation events. s-channel helicity conservation is found to be strongly violated while t-channel helicity conservation is found to be mildly violated. These results are similar to that found at 11.7 GeV/c. We explain these violations on the basis of a “two-component model” of which the first component is a single exchange amplitude. We postulate that this amplitude is the generalization of the pomeron exchange amplitude which may conserve s-channel helicity. The second component of the model is a double exchange mechanism which strongly violates s-channel helicity. The predictions of this model agree with the experimental data.