Separated Response Function Ratios in Exclusive, Forward pi(+/-) Electroproduction

The study of exclusive pi(+/-) electroproduction on the nucleon, including separation of the various structure functions, is of interest for a number of reasons. The ratio R-L=sigma(pi-)(L) / sigma(pi+)(L) is sensitive to isoscalar contamination to the dominant isovector pion exchange amplitude, which is the basis for the determination of the charged pion form factor from electroproduction data. A change in the value of R-T=sigma(pi-)(L) / sigma(pi+)(L) from unity at small -t, to 1/4 at large -t, would suggest a transition from coupling to a (virtual) pion to coupling to individual quarks. Furthermore, the mentioned ratios may show an earlier approach to perturbative QCD than the individual cross sections. We have performed the first complete separation of the four unpolarized electromagnetic structure functions above the dominant resonances in forward, exclusive p pi(+/-) electroproduction on the deuteron at central Q(2) values of 0.6, 1.0, 1.6 GeV2 at W=1.95 GeV, and Q(2)=2.45 GeV2 at W=2.22 GeV. Here, we present the L and T cross sections, with emphasis on R-L and R-T, and compare them with theoretical calculations. Results for the separated ratio R-L indicate dominance of the pion-pole diagram at low -t, while results for R-T are consistent with a transition between pion knockout and quark knockout mechanisms

Separated response functions in exclusive, forward pi(+/-) electroproduction on deuterium

Background: Measurements of forward exclusive meson production at different squared four-momenta of the exchanged virtual photon, Q(2), and at different four-momentum transfer, t, can be used to probe QCD\u27s transition from meson-nucleon degrees of freedom at long distances to quark-gluon degrees of freedom at short scales. Ratios of separated response functions in pi(-) and pi(+) electroproduction are particularly informative. The ratio for transverse photons may allow this transition to be more easily observed, while the ratio for longitudinal photons provides a crucial verification of the assumed pole dominance, needed for reliable extraction of the pion form factor from electroproduction data. Purpose: We perform the first complete separation of the four unpolarized electromagnetic structure functions L/T/LT/TT in forward, exclusive pi(+/-) electroproduction on deuterium above the dominant resonances. Method: Data were acquired with 2.6-5.2-GeV electron beams and the HMS + SOS spectrometers in Jefferson Lab Hall C at central Q(2) values of 0.6, 1.0, and 1.6 GeV2 at W = 1.95 GeV, and Q(2) = 2.45 GeV2 at W = 2.22 GeV. There was significant coverage in phi and is an element of, which allowed separation of sigma(L), T, LT, TT. Results: sigma(L) shows a clear signature of the pion pole, with a sharp rise at small -t. In contrast, sigma(T) is much flatter versus t. The longitudinal/transverse ratios evolve with Q(2) and t and at the highest Q(2) = 2.45 GeV2 show a slight enhancement for pi(-) production compared to pi(+). The pi(-)/pi(+) ratio for transverse photons exhibits only a small Q(2) dependence, following a nearly universal curve with t, with a steep transition to a value of about 0.25, consistent with s-channel quark knockout. The sigma(TT)/sigma(T) ratio also drops rapidly with Q(2), qualitatively consistent with s-channel helicity conservation. The pi(-)/pi(+) ratio for longitudinal photons indicates a small isoscalar contamination at W = 1.95 GeV, consistent with what was observed in our earlier determination of the pion form factor at these kinematics. Conclusions: The separated cross sections are compared to a variety of theoretical models, which generally describe sigma(L) but have varying success with sigma(T). Further theoretical input is required to provide a more profound insight into the relevant reaction mechanisms for longitudinal and transverse photons, such as whether the observed transverse ratio is indeed attributable to a transition from pion to quark knockout mechanisms and provide useful information regarding the twist-3 transversity generalized parton distribution, H-

Beam spin asymmetries in deeply virtual Compton scattering (DVCS) with CLAS at 4.8 GeV

We report measurements of the beam spin asymmetry in deeply virtual Compton scattering (DVCS) at an electron beam energy of 4.8 GeV using the CLAS detector at the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility. The DVCS beam spin asymmetry has been measured in a wide range of kinematics, 1.0 \u3c Q(2) \u3c 2.8 (GeV/c)(2), 0.12 \u3c x(B) \u3c 0.48, and 0.1 \u3c -t \u3c 0.8 (GeV/c)(2), using the reaction (e) over right arrow - \u3e e\u27pX. The number of H(e, e\u27gamma p) and H(e, e\u27pi(0)p) events are separated in each (Q(2), x(B), t) bin by a fit to the line shape of the H(e, e\u27p) X M(x)(2) distribution. The validity of the method was studied in detail using experimental and simulated data. It was shown that with the achieved missing mass squared resolution and the available statistics, the separation of DVCS-Bethe-Heitler and pi(0) events can reliably be done with less than 5% uncertainty. Also, the Q(2) and t dependences of the sin phi moments of the asymmetry are extracted and compared with theoretical calculations

Moments of the spin structure functions g(1)(p) and g(1)(d) for 0.05 \u3c Q(2) \u3c 3.0 GeV2

The spin structure functions g, for the proton and the deuteron have been measured over a wide kinematic range in x and Q(2) using 1.6 and 5.7 GeV longitudinally polarized electrons incident upon polarized NH3 and ND3 targets at Jefferson Lab. Scattered electrons were detected in the CEBAF Large Acceptance Spectrometer, for 0.05 \u3c Q(2) \u3c 5 GeV2 and W \u3c 3 GeV. The first moments of g(1) for the proton and deuteron are presented - both have a negative slope at low Q(2), as predicted by the extended Gerasimov-Drell-Hearn sum rule. The first extraction of the generalized forward spin polarizability of the proton gamma(p)(0) is also reported. This quantity shows strong Q(2) dependence at low Q(2). Our analysis of the Q(2) evolution of the first moment of g, shows agreement in leading order with Heavy Baryon Chiral Perturbation Theory. However, a significant discrepancy is observed between the gamma(p)(0) data and Chiral Perturbation calculations for gamma(p)(0), even at the lowest Q(2). (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved

Polarization transfer in wide-angle Compton scattering and single-pion photoproduction from the proton

Wide-angle exclusive Compton scattering and single-pion photoproduction from the proton have been investigated via measurement of the polarization transfer from a circularly polarized photon beam to the recoil proton. The wide-angle Compton scattering polarization transfer was analyzed at an incident photon energy of 3.7 GeV at a proton scattering angle of θpcm=70°. The longitudinal transfer KLL, measured to be 0.645±0.059±0.048, where the first error is statistical and the second is systematic, has the same sign as predicted for the reaction mechanism in which the photon interacts with a single quark carrying the spin of the proton. However, the observed value is ∼3 times larger than predicted by the generalized-parton-distribution-based calculations, which indicates a significant unknown contribution to the scattering amplitude

Separated Response Function Ratios in Exclusive, Forward pi^{+/-} Electroproduction

The study of exclusive $\pi^{\pm}$ electroproduction on the nucleon, including separation of the various structure functions, is of interest for a number of reasons. The ratio $R_L=\sigma_L^{\pi^-}/\sigma_L^{\pi^+}$ is sensitive to isoscalar contamination to the dominant isovector pion exchange amplitude, which is the basis for the determination of the charged pion form factor from electroproduction data. A change in the value of $R_T=\sigma_T^{\pi^-}/\sigma_T^{\pi^+}$ from unity at small $-t$, to 1/4 at large $-t$, would suggest a transition from coupling to a (virtual) pion to coupling to individual quarks. Furthermore, the mentioned ratios may show an earlier approach to pQCD than the individual cross sections. We have performed the first complete separation of the four unpolarized electromagnetic structure functions above the dominant resonances in forward, exclusive $\pi^{\pm}$ electroproduction on the deuteron at central $Q^2$ values of 0.6, 1.0, 1.6 GeV$^2$ at $W$=1.95 GeV, and $Q^2=2.45$ GeV$^2$ at $W$=2.22 GeV. Here, we present the $L$ and $T$ cross sections, with emphasis on $R_L$ and $R_T$, and compare them with theoretical calculations. Results for the separated ratio $R_L$ indicate dominance of the pion-pole diagram at low $-t$, while results for $R_T$ are consistent with a transition between pion knockout and quark knockout mechanisms.Comment: 6 pages, 3 figure

Precision Measurement of the Neutron Spin Asymmetry A1nA_1^n and Spin-Flavor Decomposition in the Valence Quark Region

We have measured the neutron spin asymmetry $A_1^n$ with high precision at three kinematics in the deep inelastic region at $x=0.33$, 0.47 and 0.60, and $Q^2=2.7$, 3.5 and 4.8 (GeV/c)$^2$, respectively. Our results unambiguously show, for the first time, that $A_1^n$ crosses zero around $x=0.47$ and becomes significantly positive at $x=0.60$. Combined with the world proton data, polarized quark distributions were extracted. Our results, in general, agree with relativistic constituent quark models and with perturbative quantum chromodynamics (pQCD) analyses based on the earlier data. However they deviate from pQCD predictions based on hadron helicity conservation.Comment: 5 pages, 2 figures, this is the final version appeared in Phys. Rev. Let

Recoil Polarization Measurements of the Proton Electromagnetic Form Factor Ratio to Q^2 = 8.5 GeV^2

Among the most fundamental observables of nucleon structure, electromagnetic form factors are a crucial benchmark for modern calculations describing the strong interaction dynamics of the nucleon's quark constituents; indeed, recent proton data have attracted intense theoretical interest. In this letter, we report new measurements of the proton electromagnetic form factor ratio using the recoil polarization method, at momentum transfers Q2=5.2, 6.7, and 8.5 GeV2. By extending the range of Q2 for which GEp is accurately determined by more than 50%, these measurements will provide significant constraints on models of nucleon structure in the non-perturbative regime