We have made the first measurements of the virtual Compton scattering process via the e p -> e p gamma exclusive reaction at Q**2 = 1 GeV**2 in the nucleon resonance region. The cross section is obtained at center of mass (CM) backward angle, theta_gamma_gamma*, in a range of total (gamma* p) CM energy W from the proton mass up to W = 1.91 GeV. The data show resonant structures in the first and second resonance regions, and are well reproduced at higher W by the Bethe-Heitler+Born cross section, including t-channel pi0-exchange. At high W, our data, together with existing real photon data, show a striking Q**2 independence. Our measurement of the ratio of H(e,e'p)gamma to H(e,e'p)pi0 cross sections is presented and compared to model predictions.
Cross section for the reaction E P --> E P GAMMA at a polar angle given by COS(THETA) = -0.975 and azimuthal angle PHI = 15 degrees both in the centre-of-mass frame of the GAMMA* P --> GAMMA* P reaction.
Cross section for the reaction E P --> E P GAMMA at a polar angle given by COS(THETA) = -0.975 and azimuthal angle PHI = 45 degrees both in the centre-of-mass frame of the GAMMA* P --> GAMMA* P reaction.
Cross section for the reaction E P --> E P GAMMA at a polar angle given by COS(THETA) = -0.975 and azimuthal angle PHI = 75 degrees both in the centre-of-mass frame of the GAMMA* P --> GAMMA* P reaction.
Exclusive electroproduction of pi0 mesons on protons in the backward hemisphere has been studied at Q**2 = 1.0 GeV**2 by detecting protons in the forward direction in coincidence with scattered electrons from the 4 GeV electron beam in Jefferson Lab's Hall A. The data span the range of the total (gamma* p) center-of-mass energy W from the pion production threshold to W = 2.0 GeV. The differential cross sections sigma_T+epsilon*sigma_L, sigma_TL, and sigma_TT were separated from the azimuthal distribution and are presented together with the MAID and SAID parametrizations.
Cross section SIG(T) + EPSILON*SIG(L) for COS(THETA*) = -0.975.
Cross section SIG(T) + EPSILON*SIG(L) for COS(THETA*) = -0.925.
Cross section SIG(T) + EPSILON*SIG(L) for COS(THETA*) = -0.875.
The H(e,e'pi+)n cross section was measured at four-momentum transfers of Q2=1.60 and 2.45 GeV2 at an invariant mass of the photon nucleon system of W=2.22 GeV. The charged pion form factor (F_pi) was extracted from the data by comparing the separated longitudinal pion electroproduction cross section to a Regge model prediction in which F_pi is a free parameter. The results indicate that the pion form factor deviates from the charge-radius constrained monopole form at these values of Q2 by one sigma, but is still far from its perturbative Quantum Chromo-Dynamics prediction.
Separated cross sections at mean Q**2 of 1.60 GeV**2.
Separated cross sections at mean Q**2 of 2.45 GeV**2.
Extracted values of the charged pion form-factor. Errors are the statistical and experimental systematics combined in quadrature.
The GlueX experiment at Jefferson Lab studies photoproduction of mesons using linearly polarized $8.5\,\text{GeV}$ photons impinging on a hydrogen target which is contained within a detector with near-complete coverage for charged and neutral particles. We present measurements of spin-density matrix elements for the photoproduction of the vector meson $\rho$(770). The statistical precision achieved exceeds that of previous experiments for polarized photoproduction in this energy range by orders of magnitude. We confirm a high degree of $s$-channel helicity conservation at small squared four-momentum transfer $t$ and are able to extract the $t$-dependence of natural and unnatural-parity exchange contributions to the production process in detail. We confirm the dominance of natural-parity exchange over the full $t$ range. We also find that helicity amplitudes in which the helicity of the incident photon and the photoproduced $\rho(770)$ differ by two units are negligible for $-t<0.5\,\text{GeV}^{2}/c^{2}$.
We report measurements of the photon beam asymmetry $\Sigma$ for the reactions $\vec{\gamma}p\to p\pi^0$ and $\vec{\gamma}p\to p\eta $ from the GlueX experiment using a 9 GeV linearly-polarized, tagged photon beam incident on a liquid hydrogen target in Jefferson Lab's Hall D. The asymmetries, measured as a function of the proton momentum transfer, possess greater precision than previous $\pi^0$ measurements and are the first $\eta$ measurements in this energy regime. The results are compared with theoretical predictions based on $t$-channel, quasi-particle exchange and constrain the axial-vector component of the neutral meson production mechanism in these models.
The first spin-transfer experiment performed for the πd→→p→p reaction is described. Three spin-transfer parameters for this π-absorption process were determined, KLSa, KSSa, and KNNa, which correspond to the π-production parameters, KSLp, KSSp, and KNNp, of the time-reversed p→p→d→π process. Each observable was measured at a single angle for a number of energies spanning the Δ resonance of this system. The results are compared with the predictions of published partial wave amplitude fits which are primarily based on existing data for the time-reversed pp→dπ reaction, and also with the predictions of two current theories. The failure of these theories to describe the fundamental features of the data clearly demonstrates the need for further theoretical work in this area.
We report on the measurement of the $\gamma p \rightarrow J/\psi p$ cross section from $E_\gamma = 11.8$ GeV down to the threshold at $8.2$ GeV using a tagged photon beam with the GlueX experiment. We find the total cross section falls toward the threshold less steeply than expected from two-gluon exchange models. The differential cross section $d\sigma /dt$ has an exponential slope of $1.67 \pm 0.39$ GeV$^{-2}$ at $10.7$ GeV average energy. The LHCb pentaquark candidates $P_c^+$ can be produced in the $s$-channel of this reaction. We see no evidence for them and set model-dependent upper limits on their branching fractions $\mathcal{B}(P_c^+ \rightarrow J/\psi p)$ and cross sections $\sigma(\gamma p \to P_c^+)\times\mathcal{B}(P_c^+ \to J/\psi p) $.
We report a measurement of the $\pi^-$ photoproduction beam asymmetry for the reaction $\vec{\gamma} p \rightarrow \pi^- \Delta^{++}$ using data from the GlueX experiment in the photon beam energy range 8.2--8.8 GeV. The asymmetry $\Sigma$ is measured as a function of four-momentum transfer $t$ to the $\Delta^{++}$ and compared to phenomenological models. We find that $\Sigma$ varies as a function of $t$: negative at smaller values and positive at higher values of $|t|$. The reaction can be described theoretically by $t$-channel particle exchange requiring pseudoscalar, vector, and tensor intermediaries. In particular, this reaction requires charge exchange, allowing us to probe pion exchange and the significance of higher-order corrections to one-pion exchange at low momentum transfer. Constraining production mechanisms of conventional mesons may aid in the search for and study of unconventional mesons. This is the first measurement of the process at this energy.
Differential and total cross sections for π + absorption on 12 C are presented at incident pion energies of 100 and 165 MeV. This is the first time that this reaction has been measured with a combination of good energy and angle information over an extensive region of phase space. Results are compared to extensive Monte Carlo simulations in order to investigate the role of two- and multinucleon absorption processes in this nucleus. Signatures of ISI and FSI in the pion absorption process are also investigated, in order to explain the complex reaction mechanism implied by the data.
We report on the measurement of the beam asymmetry $\Sigma$ for the reactions $\vec{\gamma}p\rightarrow p\eta$ and $\vec{\gamma}p \rightarrow p\eta^{\prime}$ from the GlueX experiment, using an 8.2--8.8 GeV linearly polarized tagged photon beam incident on a liquid hydrogen target in Hall D at Jefferson Lab. These measurements are made as a function of momentum transfer $-t$, with significantly higher statistical precision than our earlier $\eta$ measurements, and are the first measurements of $\eta^{\prime}$ in this energy range. We compare the results to theoretical predictions based on $t$--channel quasi-particle exchange. We also compare the ratio of $\Sigma_{\eta}$ to $\Sigma_{\eta^{\prime}}$ to these models, as this ratio is predicted to be sensitive to the amount of $s\bar{s}$ exchange in the production. We find that photoproduction of both $\eta$ and $\eta^{\prime}$ is dominated by natural parity exchange with little dependence on $-t$.
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