The (π+,pd) and (π+,dd) reactions on light nuclei at 100 and 165 MeV incident pion energies Original Research Article

The (π+,pd), and (π+,dd) reactions on 6Li and 12C targets were investigated with pions of 100 and 165 MeV kinetic energy. The experimental apparatus employed for this work is characterized by good energy resolution (<3%, ΔE/E) and angle definition (Δθ=1.6°), and the measurements span a large fraction of the final-state particle phase space. Results are compared to extensive Monte Carlo simulations in order to investigate the role of single-step and multistep absorption processes in these nuclei. In comparison with previously published (π+,pp) data on the same targets and at the same beam energies, specific kinematic regions were identified in which the neutron hard pickup process n+p→d dominated the observed deuteron yield. The contribution of direct quasitriton absorption is significant only at 100 MeV.