Notwithstanding decades of progress since Yukawa first developed a description of the force between nucleons in terms of meson exchange, a full understanding of the strong interaction remains a major challenge in modern science. One remaining difficulty arises from the non-perturbative nature of the strong force, which leads to the phenomenon of quark confinement at distances on the order of the size of the proton. Here we show that in relativistic heavy-ion collisions, where quarks and gluons are set free over an extended volume, two species of produced vector (spin-1) mesons, namely $\phi$ and $K^{*0}$, emerge with a surprising pattern of global spin alignment. In particular, the global spin alignment for $\phi$ is unexpectedly large, while that for $K^{*0}$ is consistent with zero. The observed spin-alignment pattern and magnitude for the $\phi$ cannot be explained by conventional mechanisms, while a model with a connection to strong force fields, i.e. an effective proxy description within the Standard Model and Quantum Chromodynamics, accommodates the current data. This connection, if fully established, will open a potential new avenue for studying the behaviour of strong force fields.
Global spin alignment of $\phi$ and $K^{*0}$ vector mesons in heavy-ion collisions. The measured matrix element $\rho_{00}$ as a function of beam energy for the $\phi$ and $K^{*0}$ vector mesons within the indicated windows of centrality, transverse momentum ($p_T$) and rapidity ($y$). The open symbols indicate ALICE results for Pb+Pb collisions at 2.76 TeV at $p_{T}$ values of 2.0 and 1.4 GeV/c for the $\phi$ and $K^{*0}$ mesons, respectively, corresponding to the $p_{T}$ bin nearest to the mean $p_{T}$ for the 1.0 – 5.0 GeV/$c$ range assumed for each meson in the present analysis. The red solid curve is a fit to data in the range of $\sqrt{s_{NN}} = 19.6$ to 200 GeV, based on a theoretical calculation with a $\phi$-meson field. Parameter sensitivity of $\rho_{00}$ to the $\phi$-meson field is shown in Ref.5. The red dashed line is an extension of the solid curve with the fitted parameter $G_s^{(y)}$. The black dashed line represents $\rho_{00}=1/3.$
Global spin alignment of $\phi$ and $K^{*0}$ vector mesons in heavy-ion collisions. The measured matrix element $\rho_{00}$ as a function of beam energy for the $\phi$ and $K^{*0}$ vector mesons within the indicated windows of centrality, transverse momentum ($p_T$) and rapidity ($y$). The open symbols indicate ALICE results for Pb+Pb collisions at 2.76 TeV at $p_{T}$ values of 2.0 and 1.4 GeV/c for the $\phi$ and $K^{*0}$ mesons, respectively, corresponding to the $p_{T}$ bin nearest to the mean $p_{T}$ for the 1.0 – 5.0 GeV/$c$ range assumed for each meson in the present analysis. The red solid curve is a fit to data in the range of $\sqrt{s_{NN}} = 19.6$ to 200 GeV, based on a theoretical calculation with a $\phi$-meson field. Parameter sensitivity of $\rho_{00}$ to the $\phi$-meson field is shown in Ref.5. The red dashed line is an extension of the solid curve with the fitted parameter $G_s^{(y)}$. The black dashed line represents $\rho_{00}=1/3.$
Example of combinatorial background subtracted invariant mass distributions and the extracted yields as a function of $\cos \theta^*$ for $\phi$ and $K^{*0}$ mesons. \textbf{a)} example of $\phi \rightarrow K^+ + K^-$ invariant mass distributions, with combinatorial background subtracted, integrated over $\cos \theta^*$; \textbf{b)} example of $K^{*0} (\overline{K^{*0}}) \rightarrow K^{-} \pi^{+} (K^{+} \pi^{-})$ invariant mass distributions, with combinatorial background subtracted, integrated over $\cos \theta^*$; \textbf{c)} extracted yields of $\phi$ as a function of $\cos \theta^*$; \textbf{d)} extracted yields of $K^{*0}$ as a function of $\cos \theta^*$.
The first measurement of two-pion Bose-Einstein correlations in central Pb-Pb collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}} = 2.76$ TeV at the Large Hadron Collider is presented. We observe a growing trend with energy now not only for the longitudinal and the outward but also for the sideward pion source radius. The pion homogeneity volume and the decoupling time are significantly larger than those measured at RHIC.
Projections of the correlation function C.
Projections of the correlation function C.
Projections of the correlation function C.
The exclusive photoproduction of J/psi mesons, gamma p->J/psi p, has been studied in ep collisions with the ZEUS detector at HERA, in the kinematic range 20<W<290 GeV, where W is the photon-proton centre-of-mass energy. The J/psi mesons were reconstructed in the muon and the electron decay channels using integrated luminosities of 38 pb^-1 and 55 pb^-1, respectively. The helicity structure of J/psi production shows that the hypothesis of s-channel helicity conservation is satisfied at the two standard-deviation level. The total cross section and the differential cross-section dsigma/dt, where t is the squared four-momentum transfer at the proton vertex, are presented as a function of W, for |t|<1.8 GeV^2. The t distribution exhibits an exponential shape with a slope parameter increasing logarithmically with W with a value b=4.15 \pm 0.05 (stat.)^{+0.30}_{-0.18} (syst.) GeV^-2 at W=90 GeV. The effective parameters of the Pomeron trajectory are alphapom(0) = 1.200 \pm 0.009(stat.)^{+0.004}_{-0.010}(syst.) and alphappom= 0.115 \pm 0.018(stat.)^{+0.008}_{-0.015}(syst.) GeV^-2.
The total exclusive J/PSI photoproduction cross section, the differential cross section extrapolated to t=0 and the slope parameter of the exponential t dependence as afunction of W, the photon-proton c.m. energy, for data from J/PSI muon decay.
The total exclusive J/PSI photoproduction cross section as a function of W,the photon-proton c.m. energy, for data from J/PSI electron decays.
The differential cross section extrapolated to t=0 and the slope parameter of the exponential t dependence for exclusive J/PSI photoproduction as a function of W, the photon-proton c.m. energy for data from J/PSI electron decays.
The exclusive electroproduction of omega mesons, ep -> e omega p, has been studied in the kinematic range 3<Q^2<20 GeV^2, 40<W<120 GeV and |t|<0.6 GeV^2 with the ZEUS detector at HERA using an integrated luminosity of 37.7 pb^{-1}. The omega mesons were identified via the decay omega -> pi^+pi^-pi^0. The exclusive (ep -> e omega p) cross section in the above kinematic region is 0.108 +- 0.014(stat.) +- 0.026(syst.) nb. The reaction ep -> e phi p, phi -> pi^+pi^-pi^0, has also been measured. The cross sections, as well as the cross-section ratios omega/rho and omega/phi, are presented as a function of W and Q^2. Thus, for the first time, the properties of omega electroproduction can be compared to those of rho^0, phi and J/psi electroproduction at high W.
The cross sections for OMEGA and PHI electroproduction.
The corresponding photoproduction cross sections of OMEGA and PHI mesons. The RHO0 data is taken from a previous ZEUS publication (EPJ C6,603).
Ratio of the photoproduction cross sections.
Exclusive electroproduction of rho^0 mesons has been measured using the ZEUS detector at HERA in two Q^2 ranges, 0.25<Q^2<0.85 GeV^2 and 3<Q^2<30 GeV^2. The low-Q^2 data span the range 20<W<90 GeV; the high-Q^2 data cover the 40<W<120 GeV interval. Both samples extend up to four-momentum transfers of |t|=0.6 GeV^2. The distribution in the azimuthal angle between the positron scattering plane and the rho^0 production plane shows a small but significant violation of s-channel helicity conservation, corresponding to the production of longitudinally polarised (i.e. helicity zero) rho^0 mesons from transverse photons. Measurements of the 15 combinations of spin-density matrix elements which completely define the angular distributions are presented and discussed.
The spin-density matrix elements obtained from the BPC low Q**2 data set.
The spin-density matrix elements obtained from the DIS high Q**2 data set.
The spin-density matrix elements obtained from the low Q**2 BPC data set in two W intervals.
This paper presents the first analysis of diffractive photon dissociation events in deep inelastic positron-proton scattering at HERA in which the proton in the final state is detected and its momentum measured. The events are selected by requiring a scattered proton in the ZEUS leading proton spectrometer (LPS) with $\xl>0.97$, where $\xl$ is the fraction of the incoming proton beam momentum carried by the scattered proton. The use of the LPS significantly reduces the contamination from events with diffractive dissociation of the proton into low mass states and allows a direct measurement of $t$, the square of the four-momentum exchanged at the proton vertex. The dependence of the cross section on $t$ is measured in the interval $0.073<|t|<0.4$~$\gevtwo$ and is found to be described by an exponential shape with the slope parameter $b=\tslopeerr$. The diffractive structure function $\ftwodfour$ is presented as a function of $\xpom \simeq 1-\xl$ and $\beta$, the momentum fraction of the struck quark with respect to $\xpom$, and averaged over the $t$ interval $0.073<|t|<\ftwodfourtmax$~$\gevtwo$ and the photon virtuality range $5<Q^2<20~\gevtwo$. In the kinematic range $4 \times 10^{-4} < \xpom < 0.03$ and $0.015<\beta<0.5$, the $\xpom$ dependence of $\ftwodfour$ is fitted with a form $\xpoma$, yielding $a= \ftwodfouraerr$. Upon integration over $t$, the structure function $\ftwod$ is determined in a kinematic range extending to higher $\xpom$ and lower $\beta$ compared to our previous analysis; the results are discussed within the framework of Regge theory.
The measured distribution of T, the squared momentum transfer to the virtual pluton.
Slope of the T distribution.
The structure function F2(NAME=D4).
We present a measurement of the inelastic, non diffractive J/$\psi$ photoproduction cross section in the reaction $e^{+} p \to e^{+} {J}/\psi X$ with the ZEUS detector at HERA. The J/$\psi$ was identified using both the $\mu^{+}\mu^{-}$ and $e^{+}e^{-}$ decay channels and events were selected within the range $0.4<z<0.9$ ($0.5<z<0.9$) for the muon (electron) decay mode, where $z$ is the fraction of the photon energy carried by the J/$\psi$ in the proton rest frame. The cross section, the $p^2_T$ and the $z$ distributions, after having subtracted the contributions from resolved photon and diffractive proton dissociative processes, are given for the photon-proton centre of mass energy range $50<W<180$ GeV; $p^2_T$ is the square of the J/$\psi$ transverse momentum with respect to the incoming proton beam direction. In the kinematic range $0.4 < z < 0.9$ and $p^2_T > 1$ GeV$^2$, NLO calculations of the photon-gluon fusion process based on the colour-singlet model are in good agreement with the data. The predictions of a specific leading order colour-octet model, as formulated to describe the CDF data on J/$\psi$ hadroproduction, are not consistent with the data.
Cross section for the MU+ MU- decay channel.
Cross section for the MU+ MU- decay channel.
Cross section for the MU+ MU- decay channel.
Using the CLEO detector at the Cornell Electron Storage Ring, we have made a measurement of R=sigma(e+e- ->hadrons)/sigma(e+e- ->mu+mu-) =3.56+/-0.01+/-0.07 at ECM=10.52 GeV. This implies a value for the strong coupling constant of alpha_s(10.52 GeV)=0.20+/-0.01+/-0.06, or alpha_s(M_Z)=0.13+/-0.005+/-0.03.
Corrected for background and radiactive effects.
Value of ALPHAS, the strong coupling constant, from the measurement of R. CT,= ALPHAS also given evolved to the Z0 mass.
Diffractive scattering of $\gamma~* p \to X + N$, where $N$ is either a proton or a nucleonic system with $M_N<4$GeV has been measured in deep inelastic scattering (DIS) at HERA. The cross section was determined by a novel method as a function of the $\gamma~* p$ c.m. energy $W$ between 60 and 245GeV and of the mass $M_X$ of the system $X$ up to 15GeV at average $Q~2$ values of 14 and 31GeV$~2$. The diffractive cross section $d\sigma~{diff} /dM_X$ is, within errors, found to rise linearly with $W$. Parameterizing the $W$ dependence by the form $d\sigma~{diff}/dM_X \propto (W~2)~{(2\overline{\mbox{$\alpha_{_{I\hspace{-0.2em}P}}$}} -2)}$ the DIS data yield for the pomeron trajectory $\overline{\mbox{$\alpha_{_{I\hspace{-0.2em}P}}$}} = 1.23 \pm 0.02(stat) \pm 0.04 (syst)$ averaged over $t$ in the measured kinematic range assuming the longitudinal photon contribution to be zero. This value for the pomeron trajectory is substantially larger than $\overline{\mbox{$\alpha_{_{I\hspace{-0.2em}P}}$}}$ extracted from soft interactions. The value of $\overline{\mbox{$\alpha_{_{I\hspace{-0.2em}P}}$}}$ measured in this analysis suggests that a substantial part of the diffractive DIS cross section originates from processes which can be described by perturbative QCD. From the measured diffractive cross sections the diffractive structure function of the proton $F~{D(3)}_2(\beta,Q~2, \mbox{$x_{_{I\hspace{-0.2em}P}}$})$ has been determined, where $\beta$ is the momentum fraction of the struck quark in the pomeron. The form $F~{D(3)}_2 = constant \cdot (1/ \mbox{$x_{_{I\hspace{-0.2em}P}}$})~a$ gives a good fit to the data in all $\beta$ and $Q~2$ intervals with $a = 1.46 \pm 0.04 (stat) \pm
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