The dp → 3He π0 reaction in collinear geometry

The unpolarised differential cross section and deuteron tensor analysing power t20 are estimated for the dp→ 3He π0 reaction in the forward and backward directions within a two-body cluster model for the 3He nucleus. All the qualitative features of the low-energy data, such as the rapid rise in the forward/backward asymmetry and the oscillation in t20 as the energy increase, are well reproduced in terms of amplitudes deduced from pp → d(d*)π. At higher energies the forward data are still well described although one of the amplitudes in the backward direction is seriously underpredicted. (author)