Pion production in nucleon-nucleon collisions and the issue of dibaryons

Abstract

Pion production in nucleon-nucleon collisions is tightly connected with the issue of dibaryons. After having established the existence of the narrow dibaryon resonance d* (2380) with I(JP) = 0(3+) by two-pion production and elastic proton-neutron scattering experiments, the discussion focuses now on its structure, whether it is a dilute molecular-like or a compact hexaquark object. These scenarios are confronted with experimental branching ratios and other observables. New WASA data for the pp → ppπ+π− reaction give evidence for the existence of an isotensor ΔN threshold state with JP = 1+ as calculated recently by Gal and Garcilazo and predicted earlier by Dyson and Xuong. New ANKE results suggest the dibaryon spectrum to be richer than expected.