MEASUREMENT AND ANALYSIS OF THE REACTION GAMMA-GAMMA-]3-PI+3-PI-

The reaction gamma-gamma --> 3-pi + 3-pi- has been studied using the JADE detector at PETRA. The topological cross section sigma(gamma-gamma --> 3-pi + 3-pi-) was measured in the CM energy range 1.5-5.5 GeV. The production of rho-0's was observed and the average number of rho-0's per event measured. The contributions of the subprocesses gamma-gamma --> rho-0 2-pi + 2-pi-, gamma-gamma --> rho-0-rho-0-pi + pi- and gamma-gamma --> 3-pi + 3-pi- (phase space) were studied and 95% C.L. upper limits for the cross section sigma(gamma-gamma --> rho-0-rho-0-pi + pi-) determined. Finally the Bose-Einstein correlation for pairs of like signed pions was observed. A fit to a standard parametrization gave results consistent with other studies of this effect in pion systems.