Target and beam-target spin asymmetries in exclusive pion electroproduction for Q2>1GeV2 . I. ep→eπ+n

Beam-target double-spin asymmetries and target single-spin asymmetries were measured for the exclusive π + electroproduction reaction γ ∗ p → n π + . The results were obtained from scattering of 6-GeV longitudinally polarized electrons off longitudinally polarized protons using the CEBAF Large Acceptance Spectrometer at Jefferson Laboratory. The kinematic range covered is 1.1 < W < 3 GeV and 1 < Q 2 < 6 GeV 2 . Results were obtained for about 6000 bins in W ,   Q 2 ,   cos ( θ ∗ ) , and ϕ ∗ . Except at forward angles, very large target-spin asymmetries are observed over the entire W region. Reasonable agreement is found with phenomenological fits to previous data for W < 1.6 GeV, but very large differences are seen at higher values of W . A generalized parton distributions (GPD)-based model is in poor agreement with the data. When combined with cross-sectional measurements, the present results provide powerful constraints on nucleon resonance amplitudes at moderate and large values of Q 2 , for resonances with masses as high as 2.4 GeV

Towards a resolution of the proton form factor problem: new electron and positron scattering data

There is a significant discrepancy between the values of the proton electric form factor, $G_E^p$, extracted using unpolarized and polarized electron scattering. Calculations predict that small two-photon exchange (TPE) contributions can significantly affect the extraction of $G_E^p$ from the unpolarized electron-proton cross sections. We determined the TPE contribution by measuring the ratio of positron-proton to electron-proton elastic scattering cross sections using a simultaneous, tertiary electron-positron beam incident on a liquid hydrogen target and detecting the scattered particles in the Jefferson Lab CLAS detector. This novel technique allowed us to cover a wide range in virtual photon polarization ($\varepsilon$) and momentum transfer ($Q^2$) simultaneously, as well as to cancel luminosity-related systematic errors. The cross section ratio increases with decreasing $\varepsilon$ at $Q^2 = 1.45 \text{ GeV}^2$. This measurement is consistent with the size of the form factor discrepancy at $Q^2\approx 1.75$ GeV$^2$ and with hadronic calculations including nucleon and $\Delta$ intermediate states, which have been shown to resolve the discrepancy up to $2-3$ GeV$^2$.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figures, submitted to PR

Beam-target helicity asymmetry for γ→n→→π−p in the N*resonance region

We report the first beam-target double-polarization asymmetries in the γ þ nðpÞ → π− þ pðpÞ reaction spanning the nucleon resonance region from invariant mass W ¼ 1500 to 2300 MeV. Circularly polarized photons and longitudinally polarized deuterons in solid hydrogen deuteride (HD) have been used with the CEBAF Large Acceptance Spectrometer (CLAS) at Jefferson Lab. The exclusive final state has been extracted using three very different analyses that show excellent agreement, and these have been used to deduce the E polarization observable for an effective neutron target. These results have been incorporated into new partial wave analyses and have led to significant revisions for several γnN* resonance photocouplings

Differential cross sections and recoil polarizations for the reaction gamma p -> K+ Sigma0

High-statistics measurements of differential cross sections and recoil polarizations for the reaction $\gamma p \rightarrow K^+ \Sigma^0$ have been obtained using the CLAS detector at Jefferson Lab. We cover center-of-mass energies ($\sqrt{s}$) from 1.69 to 2.84 GeV, with an extensive coverage in the $K^+$ production angle. Independent measurements were made using the $K^{+}p\pi^{-}$($\gamma$) and $K^{+}p$($\pi^-, \gamma$) final-state topologies, and were found to exhibit good agreement. Our differential cross sections show good agreement with earlier CLAS, SAPHIR and LEPS results, while offering better statistical precision and a 300-MeV increase in $\sqrt{s}$ coverage. Above $\sqrt{s} \approx 2.5$ GeV, $t$- and $u$-channel Regge scaling behavior can be seen at forward- and backward-angles, respectively. Our recoil polarization ($P_\Sigma$) measurements represent a substantial increase in kinematic coverage and enhanced precision over previous world data. At forward angles we find that $P_\Sigma$ is of the same magnitude but opposite sign as $P_\Lambda$, in agreement with the static SU(6) quark model prediction of $P_\Sigma \approx -P_\Lambda$. This expectation is violated in some mid- and backward-angle kinematic regimes, where $P_\Sigma$ and $P_\Lambda$ are of similar magnitudes but also have the same signs. In conjunction with several other meson photoproduction results recently published by CLAS, the present data will help constrain the partial wave analyses being performed to search for missing baryon resonances.Comment: 23 pages, 17 figure

Deep exclusive π+\pi^+ electroproduction off the proton at CLAS

The exclusive electroproduction of $\pi^+$ above the resonance region was studied using the $\rm{CEBAF}$ Large Acceptance Spectrometer ($\rm{CLAS}$) at Jefferson Laboratory by scattering a 6 GeV continuous electron beam off a hydrogen target. The large acceptance and good resolution of $\rm{CLAS}$, together with the high luminosity, allowed us to measure the cross section for the $\gamma^* p \to n \pi^+$ process in 140 ($Q^2$, $x_B$, $t$) bins: $0.16<x_B<0.58$, 1.6 GeV$^2<$$Q^2$$<4.5$ GeV$^2$ and 0.1 GeV$^2<$$-t$$<5.3$ GeV$^2$. For most bins, the statistical accuracy is on the order of a few percent. Differential cross sections are compared to two theoretical models, based either on hadronic (Regge phenomenology) or on partonic (handbag diagram) degrees of freedom. Both can describe the gross features of the data reasonably well, but differ strongly in their ingredients. If the handbag approach can be validated in this kinematical region, our data contain the interesting potential to experimentally access transversity Generalized Parton Distributions.Comment: 18pages, 21figures,2table

Measurement of the neutron F2 structure function via spectator tagging with CLAS

We report on the first measurement of the F2 structure function of the neutron from semi-inclusive scattering of electrons from deuterium, with low-momentum protons detected in the backward hemisphere. Restricting the momentum of the spectator protons to < 100 MeV and their angles to < 100 degrees relative to the momentum transfer allows an interpretation of the process in terms of scattering from nearly on-shell neutrons. The F2n data collected cover the nucleon resonance and deep-inelastic regions over a wide range of Bjorken x for 0.65 < Q2 < 4.52 GeV2, with uncertainties from nuclear corrections estimated to be less than a few percent. These measurements provide the first determination of the neutron to proton structure function ratio F2n/F2p at 0.2 < x < 0.8 with little uncertainty due to nuclear effects.Comment: 6 pages, 3 page

Differential cross section and recoil polarization measurements for the gamma p to K+ Lambda reaction using CLAS at Jefferson Lab

We present measurements of the differential cross section and Lambda recoil polarization for the gamma p to K+ Lambda reaction made using the CLAS detector at Jefferson Lab. These measurements cover the center-of-mass energy range from 1.62 to 2.84 GeV and a wide range of center-of-mass K+ production angles. Independent analyses were performed using the K+ p pi- and K+ p (missing pi -) final-state topologies; results from these analyses were found to exhibit good agreement. These differential cross section measurements show excellent agreement with previous CLAS and LEPS results and offer increased precision and a 300 MeV increase in energy coverage. The recoil polarization data agree well with previous results and offer a large increase in precision and a 500 MeV extension in energy range. The increased center-of-mass energy range that these data represent will allow for independent study of non-resonant K+ Lambda photoproduction mechanisms at all production angles.Comment: 22 pages, 16 figure

Coherent Photoproduction of pi^+ from 3^He

We have measured the differential cross section for the $\gamma$$^3$He$\rightarrow \pi^+ t$ reaction. This reaction was studied using the CEBAF Large Acceptance Spectrometer (CLAS) at Jefferson Lab. Real photons produced with the Hall-B bremsstrahlung tagging system in the energy range from 0.50 to 1.55 GeV were incident on a cryogenic liquid $^3$He target. The differential cross sections for the $\gamma$$^3$He$\rightarrow \pi^+ t$ reaction were measured as a function of photon-beam energy and pion-scattering angle. Theoretical predictions to date cannot explain the large cross sections except at backward angles, showing that additional components must be added to the model.Comment: 11 pages, 16 figure

A Precise Measurement of the Neutron Magnetic Form Factor GMn in the Few-GeV2 Region

The neutron elastic magnetic form factor GMn has been extracted from quasielastic electron scattering data on deuterium with the CEBAF Large Acceptance Spectrometer (CLAS) at Jefferson Lab. The kinematic coverage of the measurement is continuous from Q2=1 GeV2 to 4.8 GeV2. High precision was achieved by employing a ratio technique in which many uncertainties cancel, and by a simultaneous in-situ calibration of the neutron detection efficiency, the largest correction to the data. Neutrons were detected using the CLAS electromagnetic calorimeters and the time-of-flight scintillators. Data were taken at two different electron beam energies, allowing up to four semi-independent measurements of GMn to be made at each value of Q2. The dipole parameterization is found to provide a good description of the data over the measured Q2 range.Comment: 14 pages, 5 figures, revtex4, submitted to Physical Review Letters, Revised version has changes recommended by journal referee