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.
Exclusive ϱ 0 production has been measured in 120, 200 and 280 GeV muon-proton interactions at high Q 2 (1 GeV 2 < Q 2 < 25 GeV 2 ) and W (6 GeV < W < 19 GeV). The photoproduction cross section decreases as 1/ Q 4 . A shallow t distribution, typical of a hard scattering process is observed and the ϱ 0 is found to be dominantly in the helicity zero spin state. The ϱ 0 s are mainly produced by transverse photons and s -channel helicity conservation seems to be invalid. The data cannot be described by the vector meson dominance model. These data show that at high Q 2 even exclusive ϱ 0 muoproduction is a hard scattering process and that the soft hadron-like properties of the photon have disappeared.
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SYSTEMATIC ERROR ON SLOPE IN 0.8.