Complete set of polarization observables in (p)over-right-arrow(p)over-right-arrow -> pp pi(0) close to threshold - art. no. 064002

In a kinematically complete experiment we have measured the two analyzing p owers and the five spin correlation coefficients of the reaction (p) over r ight arrow(p) over right arrow --> pp pi (0) as a function of all five para meters of the three-body final state for bombarding energies between 325 an d 400 MeV. The data are in disagreement with the theoretical predictions av ailable at this time. Below 400 MeV, fewer than a dozen complex partial-wav e amplitudes are likely to be significant, and it is expected that the pres ent experimental information constrains these amplitudes. We also describe the formalism for an expansion of the spin observables into a complete set of angular functions and use this to completely characterize the polarizati on information obtainable from reactions with polarized spin-1/2 collision partners and a three-body final state.