The resonant substructure of $D^0 \to \pi^+\pi^-\pi^+\pi^-$ decays is studied using data collected by the CLEO-c detector. An amplitude analysis is performed in order to disentangle the various intermediate state contributions. To limit the model complexity a data driven regularization procedure is applied. The prominent contributions are the decay modes $D^0\to a_1(1260)^+\pi^-$, $D^0\to \sigma f_0(1370)$ and $D^0 \to \rho(770)^0 \rho(770)^0$. The broad resonances $a_1(1260)^+$, $\pi(1300)^+$ and $a_1(1640)^+$ are studied in detail, including quasi-model-independent parametrizations of their lineshapes. The mass and width of the $a_1(1260)^+$ meson are determined to be $m_{a_1(1260)^+}=[1225\pm9\text{(stat)}\pm17\text{(syst)}\pm10\text{(model)}]\text{MeV}/c^2$ and $\Gamma_{a_1(1260)^+}=[430\pm24\text{(stat)}\pm25 \text{(syst)}\pm18\text{(model)}]\text{MeV}$. The amplitude model of $D^0\to K^+K^-\pi^+\pi^-$ decays obtained from CLEO II.V, CLEO III, and CLEO-c data is revisited with improved lineshape parametrizations. The largest components are the decay modes $D^0\to\phi(1020)\rho(770)^0$, $D^0 \to K_1(1270)^+ K^-$ and $D^0 \to K(1400)^+ K^-$. The fractional $CP$-even content of the decay $D^0\to \pi^+\pi^-\pi^+\pi^-$ is calculated from the amplitude model to be $F_+^{4\pi}=[72.9\pm0.9\text{(stat)}\pm1.5\text{(syst)}\pm1.0\text{(model)}]\%$, consistent with that obtained from a previous model-independent measurement. For $D^0 \to K^+K^-\pi^+\pi^-$ decays, the $CP$-even fraction is measured for the first time and found to be $F_+^{KK\pi\pi}=[75.3\pm1.8\text{(stat)}\pm3.3\text{(syst)}\pm3.5\text{(model)}]\%$. The global decay rate asymmetries between $D^0$ and $\overline{D}^0$ decays are measured to be $A^{4\pi}_{CP}=[+0.54\pm1.04\text{(stat)}\pm0.51\text{(syst)}]\%$ and $A^{KK\pi\pi}_{CP}=[+1.84\pm1.74\text{(stat)}\pm0.30\text{(syst)}]\%$.

Comment: 62 pages, 18 figures, 24 tables