Systematics of pion double charge exchange

Differential cross sections have been measured for pion-induced double-charge-exchange (DCX) reactions leading to double-isobaric-analog states (DIAS) and low-lying nonanalog states in the residual nuclei. A description of the experimental details and data analysis is presented. The experimentally observed systematics of reactions leading to DIAS, to nonanalog ground states, and to low-lying 2+ states are described. Lowest-order optical-model calculations of DIAS DCX are compared to the data. Efforts to understand the anomalies by invoking additional reaction-mechanism amplitudes and a higher-order optical potential are described. Calculations of nonanalog DCX reactions leading to J/sup π/ = 0+ states were performed within a distorted-wave impulse-approximation framework. The sensitivities of these calculations to input parameters are discussed. 58 refs., 41 figs., 16 tabs