Comment on 'Comparative study of beta-decay data for eight nuclides measured at the Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt' [Astropart. Phys., 50, 47-58]

We would like to comment on a recent paper by Sturrock et al. [1] in which the authors analyze decay data acquired by an ionization chamber in our institute. They interpret the variations in the data as solar-driven changes in the decay rates of the radionuclides under study. In brief we would like to discuss and elucidate the properties and the origin of the data used by the authors and explain why these data are not a sound basis for claiming evidence for new physics.Comment: 7 pages, 2 figure

Studies on the electromagnetic structure of the nucleon by free and quasi-free Compton scattering at MAMI (Mainz)

Using hydrogen and deuterium targets, Compton scattering by the proton and neutron have been studied at the tagged photon beam of the MAMI (Mainz) accelerator using different experimental setups. The theoretical tools for the analysis of the experimental data have been investigated, as there are the nonsubtracted dispersion theory and the theory of quasi-free reactions on the proton and neutron bound in the deuteron. Experimental Compton scattering data are understood in the first and second resonance region with good precision. Precise electromagnetic polarizabilities and spin polarizabilities for the proton and neutron have been determined

Compton Scattering by the Nucleon

The status of Compton scattering by the nucleon at energies of the first and second resonance is summarized. In addition to a general test of dispersion theories and a precise determination of polarizabilities, the validities of four fundamental sum rules are explored. {\it Recommended} averages of experimental values for the electromagnetic polarizabilities and spin-polarizabilities of the nucleon are determined: $\alpha_p=12.0\pm 0.6$, $\beta_p=1.9\mp 0.6$, $\alpha_n= 12.5 \pm 1.7$, $\beta_n= 2.7 \mp 1.8$ (unit $10^{-4}$fm$^3$), $\gamma^{(p)}_\pi= -38.7 \pm 1.8$, $\gamma^{(n)}_\pi = 58.6 \pm 4.0$ (unit $10^{-4}$fm$^4$).Comment: version appearing in the conference proceeding

Quasi-free π0\pi^0 Photoproduction from the Bound Nucleon

Differential cross-sections for quasi-free $\pi^0$ photoproduction from the proton and neutron bound in the deuteron have been measured for $E_\gamma= 200 - 400$ MeV at $\theta^{\rm lab}_\gamma = 136.2^\circ$ usind the Glasgow photon tagger at MAMI, the Mainz 48 cm $\varnothing$ $\times$ 64 cm NaI(Tl) photon detector and the G\"ottingen SENECA recoil detector. For the proton measurements made with both liquid deuterium and liquid hydrogen targets allow direct comparison of "free" $\pi^0$ photoproduction cross-sections as extracted from the bound proton data with experimental free cross sections which are found to be in reasonable agreement below 320 MeV. At higher energies the "free" cross sections extracted from quasifree data are significantly smaller than the experimental free cross sections and theoretical predictions based on multipole analysis. For the first time, "free" neutron cross sections have been extracted in the $\Delta$-region. They are also in agreement with the predictions from multipole analysis up to 320 MeV and significantly smaller at higher photon energies

Magnetic polarizability of hadrons from lattice QCD

We extract the magnetic polarizability from the quadratic response of a hadron's mass shift in progressively small static magnetic fields. The calculation is done on a 24x12x12x24 lattice at a = 0.17 fm with an improved gauge action and the clover quark action. The results are compared to those from experiments and models where available.Comment: 3 pages, 3 figures, contribution to Lattice 2002 (spectrum

Electric Polarizability of Hadrons

The electric polarizability of a hadron allows an external electric field to shift the hadron mass. We try to calculate the electric polarizability for several hadrons from their quadratic response to the field at a=0.17fm using an improved gauge field and the clover quark action. Results are compared to experiment where available.Comment: 3 pgs, 5 figs, LATTICE2002(spectrum

Electric polarizabilities of proton and neutron and the relativistic center-of-mass coordinate

We argue that the relativistic correction $\delta{\bf R}_{c.m.}$ to the center-of-mass vector can lead to the approximate equality of the proton and neutron electric polarizabilities in the quark model. The explicit form of $\delta{\bf R}_{c.m.}$ depends only on the non-relativistic potential between quarks. In particular, this correction is the same for the potential generated by Lorentz-vector and -scalar interactions.Comment: 8 pages, LaTeX, conclusion extende

Explicit Delta(1232) Degrees of Freedom in Compton Scattering off the Deuteron

We examine elastic Compton scattering off the deuteron for photon energies between 50 MeV and 100 MeV in the framework of chiral effective field theories to next-to-leading order. We compare one theoretical scheme with only pions and nucleons as explicit degrees of freedom to another in which the Delta(1232) resonance is treated as an explicit degree of freedom. Whereas pion degrees of freedom suffice to describe the experimental data measured at about 70 MeV, the explicit Delta(1232) gives important contributions that help to reproduce the angular dependence at higher energies. The static isoscalar dipole polarizabilities alpha_E^s and beta_M^s are fitted to the available data, giving results for the neutron polarizabilities alpha_E^n=(14.2+-2.0(stat)+-1.9(syst))*10^(-4)fm^3, beta_M^n=(1.8+-2.2(stat)+-0.3(syst))*10^(-4)fm^3. These values are in good agreement with previous experimental analyses. Comparing them to the well-known proton values we conclude that there is currently no evidence for significant differences between the proton and neutron electromagnetic dipole polarizabilities.Comment: 24 pages, 11 figure

Quasi-free Compton Scattering and the Polarizabilities of the Neutron

Differential cross sections for quasi-free Compton scattering from the proton and neutron bound in the deuteron have been measured using the Glasgow/Mainz tagging spectrometer at the Mainz MAMI accelerator together with the Mainz 48 cm $\oslash$ $\times$ 64 cm NaI(Tl) photon detector and the G\"ottingen SENECA recoil detector. The data cover photon energies ranging from 200 MeV to 400 MeV at $\theta^{LAB}_\gamma=136.2^\circ$. Liquid deuterium and hydrogen targets allowed direct comparison of free and quasi-free scattering from the proton. The neutron detection efficiency of the SENECA detector was measured via the reaction $p(\gamma,\pi^+ n)$. The "free" proton Compton scattering cross sections extracted from the bound proton data are in reasonable agreement with those for the free proton which gives confidence in the method to extract the differential cross section for free scattering from quasi-free data. Differential cross sections on the free neutron have been extracted and the difference of the electromagnetic polarizabilities of the neutron have been obtained to be $\alpha-\beta= 9.8\pm 3.6(stat){}^{2.1}_1.1(syst)\pm 2.2(model)$ in units $10^{-4}fm^3$. In combination with the polarizability sum $\alpha +\beta=15.2\pm 0.5$ deduced from photoabsorption data, the neutron electric and magnetic polarizabilities, $\alpha_n=12.5\pm 1.8(stat){}^{+1.1}_{-0.6}\pm 1.1(model)$ and $\beta_n=2.7\mp 1.8(stat){}^{+0.6}_{-1.1}(syst)\mp 1.1(model)$ are obtained. The backward spin polarizability of the neutron was determined to be $\gamma^{(n)}_\pi=(58.6\pm 4.0)\times 10^{-4}fm^4$