Proton-proton and proton-eta invariant mass distributions and the total cross section for the pp to pp eta reaction have been determined near the threshold at an excess energy of Q=10 MeV. The experiment has been conducted using the COSY-11 detector setup and the cooler synchrotron COSY. The determined invariant mass spectra reveal significant enhancements in the region of low proton-proton relative momenta, similarly as observed previously at higher excess energies of Q=15.5 MeV and Q= 40MeV.
Total cross section determined from the integral of the invariant mass distribution.
Distribution of the square of the invariant mass of the proton-proton system.
Distribution of the square of the invariant mass of the proton-eta system.
Measurements of the analysing power for the p(pol)p --> ppeta reaction have been performed in the close-to-threshold energy region at beam momenta of p_{beam}=2.010 and 2.085 GeV/c, corresponding to excess energies of Q=10 and 36 MeV, respectively. The determined analysing power is essentially consistent with zero implying that the eta meson is produced predominantly in the s-wave at both excess energies. The angular dependence of the analysing power, combined with the hitherto determined isospin dependence of the total cross section for the eta meson production in nucleon-nucleon collisions, reveal a statistically significant indication that the excitation of the nucleon to the S_{11}(1535) resonance, the process which intermediates the production of the eta meson, is predominantly due to the exchange of the pi meson between the colliding nucleons.
Analysing power measurements for excess energy 10 MeV.
Analysing power measurements for excess energy 36 MeV.
The total cross section of the pp→ pp η reaction has been measured at incident proton energies of 1.265, 1.3, 1.4 and 1.5 GeV by detecting the two photons from the η decay in the PINOT spectrometer. The data are compared with other near-threshold measurements and with the predictions of existing theoretical calculations.
Value given at 1263 MeV assumes energy 2 MeV lower than nominal value. This uncertainty only affects this lowest energy point.
The pp→ppη reaction is studied at energies near the η production threshold. The total cross sections at nominal machine energies of 1260, 1265, and 1300 MeV are 90±15, 790±120, and 3460±690 nb, respectively. None of the existing perturbative model calculations reproduces the energy dependence, which deviates strongly from phase space. This suggests that the cross section is enhanced in the near vicinity of the production threshold by a large η−pp scattering length.
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