Diffraction dissociation of neutrons in the reaction dp → pppπ? at 25 GeV/c

We observe the reaction dp → p_spec (pπ^?)p in a bubble chamber exposure at 25 GeV/c incident deuteron momentum. The (pπ^?) system with invariant mass below 2.0 GeV is interpreted as neutron diffraction dissociation. The (pπ^?) mass spectra show little if any direct evidence of N¹ production. The decay angular distributions and the momentum transfer distributions of the (pπ^?) system suggest a smooth increase in contributions from higher partial waves $\text{(J ?}\text{3}\text{2}\text{)}$ with increased mass or momentum transfer. A simple partial-wave analysis shows a P₁₁ contribution below 1.3 GeV for small ?t′ and a dominant D₁₃ contribution elsewhere. Both the P₁₁ and D₁₃ amplitudes peak far below the N¹(1470) and N¹(1520) resonances. We also find evidence for the charge-exchange reaction np → p(pπ^?). In this process the (pπ^?) system shows evidence for Δ^o(1236) and N¹(1520) production.