A study of the reaction pp to p(n pi /sup +/) at the CERN intersecting storage rings

New results are presented on the diffraction dissociation of protons into (n pi /sup +/) systems at the CERN intersecting storage Rings. The data were taken at the centre of mass energy square root s=45 GeV and a very high statistics of events (nearly 75000) was obtained. The experiment was performed at the Split Field Magnet which is described together with the special neutron devices and the trigger logic. The software chain (pattern recognition, geometrical reconstruction and kinematical fitting) is fully described. Phenomenological comments on two approaches; the impact parameter description in the s-channel and the Deck model, are given. (76 refs).