The STAR Collaboration reports on the photoproduction of $\pi^+\pi^-$ pairs in gold-gold collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 200 GeV/nucleon-pair. These pion pairs are produced when a nearly-real photon emitted by one ion scatters from the other ion. We fit the $\pi^+\pi^-$ invariant mass spectrum with a combination of $\rho$ and $\omega$ resonances and a direct $\pi^+\pi^-$ continuum. This is the first observation of the $\omega$ in ultra-peripheral collisions, and the first measurement of $\rho-\omega$ interference at energies where photoproduction is dominated by Pomeron exchange. The $\omega$ amplitude is consistent with the measured $\gamma p\rightarrow \omega p$ cross section, a classical Glauber calculation and the $\omega\rightarrow\pi^+\pi^-$ branching ratio. The $\omega$ phase angle is similar to that observed at much lower energies, showing that the $\rho-\omega$ phase difference does not depend significantly on photon energy. The $\rho^0$ differential cross section $d\sigma/dt$ exhibits a clear diffraction pattern, compatible with scattering from a gold nucleus, with 2 minima visible. The positions of the diffractive minima agree better with the predictions of a quantum Glauber calculation that does not include nuclear shadowing than with a calculation that does include shadowing.
The $\pi^+\pi^-$ invariant-mass distribution for all selected $\pi\pi$ candidates with $p_T~<~100~\textrm{MeV}/c$.
The ratio $|B/A|$ of amplitudes of nonresonant $\pi^+\pi^-$ and $\rho^0$ mesons in the present STAR analysis.
The ratio $|B/A|$ of amplitudes of nonresonant $\pi^+\pi^-$ and $\rho^0$ mesons in the previous STAR analysis, Phys. Rev. C 77 034910 (2008).
The exclusive omega electroproduction off the proton was studied in a large kinematical domain above the nucleon resonance region and for the highest possible photon virtuality (Q2) with the 5.75 GeV beam at CEBAF and the CLAS spectrometer. Cross sections were measured up to large values of the four-momentum transfer (-t < 2.7 GeV2) to the proton. The contributions of the interference terms sigma_TT and sigma_TL to the cross sections, as well as an analysis of the omega spin density matrix, indicate that helicity is not conserved in this process. The t-channel pi0 exchange, or more generally the exchange of the associated Regge trajectory, seems to dominate the reaction gamma* p -> omega p, even for Q2 as large as 5 GeV2. Contributions of handbag diagrams, related to Generalized Parton Distributions in the nucleon, are therefore difficult to extract for this process. Remarkably, the high-t behaviour of the cross sections is nearly Q2-independent, which may be interpreted as a coupling of the photon to a point-like object in this kinematical limit.
Total cross sections and interference terms (TT and TL).
Differential cross sections DSIG/DT for Q**2 = 1.725 GeV**2 and W = 2.77 GeV.
Differential cross sections DSIG/DT for Q**2 = 1.752 GeV**2 and W = 2.48 GeV.
The differential cross section, $d\sigma/dt$ for $\omega$ meson exclusive photoproduction on the proton above the resonance region ($2.6<W<2.9$ GeV) was measured up to a momentum transfer $-t = 5$ GeV$^2$ using the CLAS detector at Jefferson Laboratory. The $\omega$ channel was identified by detecting a proton and $\pi^+$ in the final state and using the missing mass technique. While the low momentum transfer region shows the typical diffractive pattern expected from Pomeron and Reggeon exchange, at large $-t$ the differential cross section has a flat behavior. This feature can be explained by introducing quark interchange processes in addition to the QCD-inspired two-gluon exchange.
Differential cross section in the energy region 3.20 to 3.38 GeV.
Differential cross section in the energy region 3.38 to 3.56 GeV.
Differential cross section in the energy region 3.56 to 3.74 GeV.
The cross section for $\phi$ meson photoproduction on the proton has been measured for the first time up to a four-momentum transfer -t = 4 GeV^2, using the CLAS detector at the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility. At low four-momentum transfer, the differential cross section is well described by Pomeron exchange. At large four-momentum transfer, above -t = 1.8 GeV^2, the data support a model where the Pomeron is resolved into its simplest component, two gluons, which may couple to any quark in the proton and in the $\phi$.
The differential PHI photoproduction cross section. The errors shown are the quadratic sum of the statistics and the systematic uncertainties which include 3 PCT for normalization, 5 PCT for acceptance and 5-15 PCT for background subtraction.
We have measured ep, eπ+, and eπ− coincidences for scattered electrons in the range Q2=0.4 to 2.2 GeV2 and W=2 to 4 GeV. We find (a) that vector-meson production decreases with Q2 more rapidly than does the total virtual-photon-plus-proton cross section, more rapidly even than the prediction of simple vector dominance, (b) that the slope of the t distribution in ρ and ω production becomes flatter with increasing Q2 and seems to be at least approximately a function of the single variable xρ=(Q2+mρ2)2Mν, (c) that the fraction of final states containing a proton decreases with increasing Q2, (d) that in the central region of longitudinal momenta the inclusive π+ yield seems to increase relative to the π− yield as Q2 increases, and (e) that the average transverse momentum of π− is greater than of π+ in the central region of longitudinal momenta.
No description provided.
The data with (C=Q=RHO+OMEGA) are obtained by excluding the contribution from RHO and OMEGA production.
No description provided.
We have measured ρ0, ω (combined) and ϕ electroproduction over a range of virtual-photon four-momentum Q2 from 0.4 to 2.2 GeV2 and for photon energies ν from 2.7 to 8.6 GeV. We find that the slope of the t (momentum transfer) dependence of the ρ0 and ω forward peak decreases with increasing Q2 to less than half of the photoproduction slope.
The cross section for virtual photon are derived from E- P cross section bydividing on the virtual-photon flux factor.
The cross section for the production of π+π− or K+K− pairs in γγ interactions is measured for mππ between 1.7 and 3.5 GeV/c2 and for two intervals of γγ center-of-mass scattering angle. Results are compared with predictions of a QCD model.
Data read off graph.
Data read off graph.
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