Evidence that absorption in the $\pi^{+}\pi^{-}\pi^{-}$ system in nuclear matter is stronger in the $J^{P}=0^{-}$ than in the $J^{P}=1^{+}$ state

In the reaction pi /sup -/+A to pi /sup +/ pi /sup -/ pi /sup -/+A at 15.1 GeV/c the coherently produced 3 pi mass spectrum has a broad peak around 1.1 GeV which consists mainly of a J/sup P/=1/sup +/ state and of a smaller fraction of 0/sup -/. Comparing the observed dependence of the production of these diffractive states on the atomic weight A of the target nuclei with the optical model, the authors have studied the absorption of the produced states in nuclear matter, and have found the following values of the absorption cross-sections: sigma /sub 2/(0/sup -/)=49/sub -7//sup +9/ mb and sigma /sub 2/(1/sup +/) =15.8/sub -1.3//sup +1.5/ mb. (12 refs).