A study of the charge-exchange reaction pp → nΔ++(1232) at ISR energies

We report on a study of the charge-exchange reaction pp → nΔ ++ (1232) at the CERN intersecting storage rings (ISR) in the energy range √ s = 23 to 53 GeV. From our analysis of the energy dependence of the total cross-section, of the differential cross-section d σ /d t and of the decay angular distributions we find evidence that pion exchange is dominant up to √ s = 23 GeV and that ( ϱ +A 2 ) exchange dominates the reaction for √ s ⩾ 30 GeV, as described by simple Regge-pole models.