The elastic electroproduction of rho mesons is studied at HERA with the H1 detector for a photon virtuality in the range 1 < Q^2 < 60 GeV^2 and for a hadronic centre of mass energy in the range 30 < W < 140 GeV. The shape of the pipi mass distribution in the rho resonance region is measured as a function of Q^2. The full set of rho spin density matrix elements is determined, and evidence is found for a helicity flip amplitude at the level of 8 +- 3 % of the non-flip amplitudes. Measurements are presented of the dependence of the cross section on Q^2, W and t (the four-momentum transfer squared to the proton). They suggest that, especially at large Q^2, the gamma^*p cross section develops a stronger W dependence than that expected from the behaviour of elastic and total hadron-hadron cross sections.
Average values of the spin density matrix elements measured for the 1996 data sample.
Spin density matrix elements measured for 3 Q**2 values for the 1996 data sample.
Spin density matrix elements measured for 3 W values for the 1996 data sample.
Data are presented on exclusive ρ0 and ϕ production in deep inelastic muon scattering from a target consisting mainly of nitrogen. The ratio of the total cross sections for ρ0 and ϕ production is found to be 9∶(1.6±0.4) at 〈Q2〉=7.5 GeV2, consistent with theSU(3) prediction of 9∶2. Thet dependence for exclusive ρ0 production is found to become shallover asQ2 increases and, for largeQ2, thet dependence is typical of that for a hard scattering process. Furthermore, the ratio of the cross sections for coherent: incoherent production from nitrogen is found to decrease rapidly withQ2. Such behaviour indicates that even for exclusive vector meson production the virtual photon behaves predominantly as an electromagnetic probe.
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