The NA61/SHINE experiment at the CERN SPS is performing a uniqe study of the phase diagram of strongly interacting matter by varying collision energy and nuclear mass number of colliding nuclei. In central Pb+Pb collisions the NA49 experiment found structures in the energy dependence of several observables in the CERN SPS energy range that had been predicted for the transition to a deconfined phase. New measurements of NA61/SHINE find intriguing similarities in p+p interactions for which no deconfinement transition is expected at SPS energies. Possible implications will be discussed.
Results on $\phi$ meson production in inelastic p+p collisions at CERN SPS energies are presented. They are derived from data collected by the NA61/SHINE fixed target experiment, by means of invariant mass spectra fits in the $\phi \to K^+K^-$ decay channel. They include the first ever measured double differential spectra of $\phi$ mesons as a function of rapidity $y$ and transverse momentum $p_T$ for proton beam momenta of 80 GeV/c and 158 GeV/c, as well as single differential spectra of $y$ or $p_T$ for beam momentum of 40 GeV/c. The corresponding total $\phi$ yields per inelastic p+p event are obtained. These results are compared with existing data on $\phi$ meson production in p+p collisions. The comparison shows consistency but superior accuracy of the present measurements. The emission of $\phi$ mesons in p+p reactions is confronted with that occurring in Pb+Pb collisions, and the experimental results are compared with model predictions. It appears that none of the considered models can properly describe all the experimental observables.
Double differential multiplicity of $\phi$ mesons produced in minimum bias p+p collisions at beam momentum of 158 GeV/c, as a function of transverse momentum $p_T$ and rapidity $y$.
Double differential multiplicity of $\phi$ mesons produced in minimum bias p+p collisions at beam momentum of 80 GeV/c, as a function of transverse momentum $p_T$ and rapidity $y$.
Transverse momentum $p_T$ spectrum of $\phi$ mesons produced in minimum bias p+p collisions at beam momentum of 40 GeV/c, in a broad rapidity $y$ bin of (0, 1.5).
Results of inclusive measurements of inelastic electron and positron scattering from unpolarized protons and deuterons at the HERMES experiment are presented. The structure functions $F_2^p$ and $F_2^d$ are determined using a parameterization of existing data for the longitudinal-to-transverse virtual-photon absorption cross-section ratio. The HERMES results provide data in the ranges $0.006\leq x\leq 0.9$ and 0.1 GeV$^2\leq Q^2\leq$ 20 GeV$^2$, covering the transition region between the perturbative and the non-perturbative regimes of QCD in a so-far largely unexplored kinematic region. They are in agreement with existing world data in the region of overlap. The measured cross sections are used, in combination with data from other experiments, to perform fits to the photon-nucleon cross section using the functional form of the ALLM model. The deuteron-to-proton cross-section ratio is also determined.
Results on the differential Born cross section $\frac{d^2\sigma^p}{dx\,dQ^2}$ and $F_2^p$. The statistical uncertainty $\delta_{stat.}$ and the systematic uncertainties $\delta_{PID}$ (particle identification), $\delta_{model}$ (model dependence outside the acceptance), $\delta_{mis.}$ (misalignment), and $\delta_{rad.}$ (Bethe-Heitler efficiencies) are given in percent. Corresponding $x$ bin numbers and $Q^2$ bin numbers and the average values $\langle x \rangle$ and $\langle {Q^2} \rangle$ are listed in the first four columns. The overall normalization uncertainty is 7.6 %. The structure function $F_2^p$ is derived using the parameterization $R=R_{1998}$.
Results on the differential Born cross section $\frac{d^2\sigma^d}{dx\,dQ^2}$ and $F_2^d$. The statistical uncertainty $\delta_{stat.}$ and the systematic uncertainties $\delta_{PID}$ (particle identification), $\delta_{model}$ (model dependence outside the acceptance), $\delta_{mis.}$ (misalignment), and $\delta_{rad.}$ (Bethe-Heitler efficiencies), are given in percent. Corresponding $x$ bin numbers and $Q^2$ bin numbers and the average values $\langle x \rangle$ and $\langle{Q^2}\rangle$ are listed in the first four columns. The overall normalization uncertainty is 7.5 %. The structure function $F_2^d$ is derived using the parameterization $R=R_{1998}$.
Results on the inelastic Born cross-section ratio ${\sigma^d}/{\sigma^p}$. The statistical uncertainty $\delta_{stat.}$, the systematic uncertainty $\delta_{rad.}$ due to radiative corrections and $\delta_{model}$ due to the model dependence outside the acceptance are given in percent. The average values of $x$ and $Q^2$ are listed in the first two columns. The overall normalization uncertainty is 1.4$\%$.
A measurement of the virtual-photon asymmetry A_2(x,Q^2) and of the spin-structure function g_2(x,Q^2) of the proton are presented for the kinematic range 0.004 < x < 0.9 and 0.18 GeV^2 < Q^2 < 20 GeV^2. The data were collected by the HERMES experiment at the HERA storage ring at DESY while studying inclusive deep-inelastic scattering of 27.6 GeV longitudinally polarized leptons off a transversely polarized hydrogen gas target. The results are consistent with previous experimental data from CERN and SLAC. For the x-range covered, the measured integral of g_2(x) converges to the null result of the Burkhardt-Cottingham sum rule. The x^2 moment of the twist-3 contribution to g_2(x) is found to be compatible with zero.
The spin-structure function $xg_2(x,Q^2)$ and virtual-photon asymmetry $A_2(x,Q^2)$ of the proton in bins of $(x,Q^2)$, see text for details. Statistical and systematic uncertainties are presented separately.
The spin-structure function $xg_2$ and the virtual-photon asymmetry $A_2$ of the proton after evolving to common $Q^2$ and averaging over in each $x$-bin (see text for details). Statistical and systematic uncertainties are presented separately.
Correlation matrix for $xg_2$ in 9 $x$-bins (as in Table 2).
Measurements of the cross section for exclusive virtual-photoproduction of rho^0 mesons from hydrogen are reported. The data were collected by the HERMES experiment using 27.5 GeV positrons incident on a hydrogen gas target in the HERA storage ring. The invariant mass W of the photon-nucleon system ranges from 4.0 to 6.0 GeV, while the negative squared four-momentum Q^2 of the virtual photon varies from 0.7 to 5.0 GeV^2. The present data together with most of the previous data at W > 4 GeV are well described by a model that infers the W-dependence of the cross section from the dependence on the Bjorken scaling variable x of the unpolarized structure function for deep-inelastic scattering. In addition, a model calculation based on Off-Forward Parton Distributions gives a fairly good account of the longitudinal component of the rho^0 production cross section for Q^2 > 2 GeV^2.
Cross sections are corrected for radiative effects (which typically amount s to 18 PCT).
Longitudinal cross sections. The listed uncertainties include both the total error on the measured RHO0 photoproduction cross sections and the error on theparametrization of R for W<7 GeV.
We present a measurement of the longitudinal spin asymmetry A_|| in photoproduction of pairs of hadrons with high transverse momentum p_T. Data were accumulated by the HERMES experiment using a 27.5 GeV polarized positron beam and a polarized hydrogen target internal to the HERA storage ring. For h+h- pairs with p_T^h_1 > 1.5 GeV/c and p_T^h_2 > 1.0 GeV/c, the measured asymmetry is A_|| = -0.28 +/- 0.12 (stat.) +/- 0.02 (syst.). This negative value is in contrast to the positive asymmetries typically measured in deep inelastic scattering from protons, and is interpreted to arise from a positive gluon polarization.
Asymmetry measurement with a PT cut of 1.5 GeV on the hadron with the higher PT, and 1.0 GeV on the hadron with the lower PT.
A measurement of the proton spin structure function g1p(x,Q^2) in deep-inelastic scattering is presented. The data were taken with the 27.6 GeV longitudinally polarised positron beam at HERA incident on a longitudinally polarised pure hydrogen gas target internal to the storage ring. The kinematic range is 0.021<x<0.85 and 0.8 GeV^2<Q^2<20 GeV^2. The integral Int_{0.021}^{0.85} g1p(x)dx evaluated at Q0^2 of 2.5 GeV^2 is 0.122+/-0.003(stat.)+/-0.010(syst.).
The second systematic errors listed for G1/F1 (G1) are the uncertainties concerning R (R and F2).
G1 evolved at Q2 = 2.5 GeV**2, assuming G1/F1 to be independent of Q2. The second systematic errors listed for are the uncertainties concerning R and F2.
The dependence on Q^2 (the negative square of the 4-momentum of the exchanged virtual photon) of the generalised Gerasimov-Drell-Hearn integral for the proton has been measured in the range 1.2 GeV^2 < Q^2 < 12 GeV^2 by scattering longitudinally polarised positrons on a longitudinally polarised hydrogen gas target. The contributions of the nucleon-resonance and deep-inelastic regions to this integral have been evaluated separately. The latter has been found to dominate for Q^2 > 3 GeV^2, while both contributions are important at low Q^2. The total integral shows no significant deviation from a 1/Q^2 behaviour in the measured Q^2 range, and thus no sign of large effects due to either nucleon-resonance excitations or non-leading twist.
The GDH integral as a function of Q2 in the resonance region (W**2 = 1 to 4.2 GeV**2), the measured region (W**2=4.2 to 45 GeV**2), and the total region (W**2= 1 to 45 GeV**2).
Results are reported from the HERMES experiment at HERA on a measurement of the neutron spin structure function $g_1~n(x,Q~2)$ in deep inelastic scattering using 27.5 GeV longitudinally polarized positrons incident on a polarized $~3$He internal gas target. The data cover the kinematic range $0.023<x<0.6$ and $1 (GeV/c)~2 < Q~2 <15 (GeV/c)~2$. The integral $\int_{0.023}~{0.6} g_1~n(x) dx$ evaluated at a fixed $Q~2$ of $2.5 (GeV/c)~2$ is $-0.034\pm 0.013(stat.)\pm 0.005(syst.)$. Assuming Regge behavior at low $x$, the first moment $\Gamma_1~n=\int_0~1 g_1~n(x) dx$ is $-0.037\pm 0.013(stat.)\pm 0.005(syst.)\pm 0.006(extrapol.)$.
No description provided.
Data extrapolated to full x region. Second systematic error is the error on this extrapolation.
None
The photoabsorption asymmetry A1 for exclusive RHO0 production.
The photoabsorption asymmetry A1 for exclusive RHO0 production as a function of Q**2.
The photoabsorption asymmetry A1 for exclusive RHO0 production as a function of W.