Coupled channel study of K+ΛK^+\Lambda photoproduction

A coupled channel model with $\gamma N$, $KY$ and $\pi N$ channels has been used to analyze the recent data of $\gamma p \to K^+ \Lambda$. The non-resonant interactions within the subspace $KY \oplus \pi N$ are derived from effective Lagrangians using a unitary transformation method. The direct photoproduction reaction is obtained from a chiral constituent quark model with $SU(6)\otimes O(3)$ breaking. Missing baryon resonances issues are briefly discussed.Comment: Part of the proceedings of the International Workshop on the Physics of Excited Baryons NSTAR05, 12-15 October 2005, Tallahassee, Florida, US

Search for missing baryon resonances via associated strangeness photoproduction

Differential cross-section and single polarization observables in the process gamma p --> K^+ Lambda are investigated within a constituent quark model and a dynamical coupled-channel formalism. The effects of two new nucleon resonances and of the K*(892)- and K1(1270)-exchanges are briefly presented.Comment: Contributed paper to the IVth International Conference on Quarks and Nuclear Physics, Madrid June 5-10, 200

Quark-Exchange Mechanism of γd→np\gamma d \to np Reaction At 2-6 GeV

Within the constituent quark model, we examine the extent to which the deuteron photo-disintegration at 2-6 GeV can be described by the quark-exchange mechanism. With the parameters constrained by the $np$ scattering, the calculated differential cross sections disagree with the data in both magnitude and energy-dependence. The results can be improved if we use a smaller size parameter for quark wavefunctions. We also find that the on-shell approximation used in a previous investigation is not accurateComment: To be published in the Proceeeding of Second Asia Pacific Conference on Few-Body Problems in Physics, Shanghai, China, August 27-30, 200

Dynamical Coupled-Channels Effects on Pion Photoproduction

The electromagnetic pion production reactions are investigated within the dynamical coupled-channels model developed in {\bf Physics Reports, 439, 193 (2007)}. The meson-baryon channels included in this study are $\gamma N$, $\pi N$, $\eta N$, and the $\pi\Delta$, $\rho N$ and $\sigma N$ resonant components of the $\pi\pi N$ channel. With the hadronic parameters of the model determined in a recent study of $\pi N$ scattering, we show that the pion photoproduction data up to the second resonance region can be described to a very large extent by only adjusting the bare $\gamma N \to N^*$ helicity amplitudes, while the non-resonant electromagnetic couplings are taken from previous works. It is found that the coupled-channels effects can contribute about 10 - 20 % of the production cross sections in the $\Delta$ (1232) resonance region, and can drastically change the magnitude and shape of the cross sections in the second resonance region. The importance of the off-shell effects in a dynamical approach is also demonstrated. The meson cloud effects as well as the coupled-channels contributions to the $\gamma N \to N^*$ form factors are found to be mainly in the low $Q^2$ region. For the magnetic M1 $\gamma N \to \Delta$ (1232) form factor, the results are close to that of the Sato-Lee Model. Necessary improvements to the model and future developments are discussed.Comment: Corrected version. 14 pages, 10 figure

Disentangling the dynamical origin of P11 Nucleon Resonances

We show that two almost degenerate poles near the $\pi\Delta$ threshold and the next higher mass pole in the $P_{11}$ partial wave of $\pi N$ scattering evolve from a single bare state through its coupling with $\pi N$, $\eta N$ and $\pi\pi N$ reaction channels. This finding provides new information on understanding the dynamical origins of the Roper $N^*(1440)$ and $N^*(1710)$ resonances listed by Particle Data Group. Our results for the resonance poles in other $\pi N$ partial waves are also presented.Comment: Improved version, accepted Phys. Rev. Let

Chandra X-ray spectroscopy of the focused wind in the Cygnus X-1 system. I. The non-dip spectrum in the low/hard state

We present analyses of a 50 ks observation of the supergiant X-ray binary system Cygnus X-1/HDE 226868 taken with the Chandra High Energy Transmission Grating Spectrometer (HETGS). Cyg X-1 was in its spectrally hard state and the observation was performed during superior conjunction of the black hole, allowing for the spectroscopic analysis of the accreted stellar wind along the line of sight. A significant part of the observation covers X-ray dips as commonly observed for Cyg X-1 at this orbital phase, however, here we only analyze the high count rate non-dip spectrum. The full 0.5-10 keV continuum can be described by a single model consisting of a disk, a narrow and a relativistically broadened Fe Kalpha line, and a power law component, which is consistent with simultaneous RXTE broad band data. We detect absorption edges from overabundant neutral O, Ne and Fe, and absorption line series from highly ionized ions and infer column densities and Doppler shifts. With emission lines of He-like Mg XI, we detect two plasma components with velocities and densities consistent with the base of the spherical wind and a focused wind. A simple simulation of the photoionization zone suggests that large parts of the spherical wind outside of the focused stream are completely ionized, which is consistent with the low velocities (<200 km/s) observed in the absorption lines, as the position of absorbers in a spherical wind at low projected velocity is well constrained. Our observations provide input for models that couple the wind activity of HDE 226868 to the properties of the accretion flow onto the black hole.Comment: 16 pages, 15 figures, uses emulateapj, published as ApJ 690:330-346, 2009 January

Multi-Satellite Observations of Cygnus X-1 to Study the Focused Wind and Absorption Dips

High-mass X-ray binary systems are powered by the stellar wind of their donor stars. The X-ray state of Cygnus X-1 is correlated with the properties of the wind which defines the environment of mass accretion. Chandra-HETGS observations close to orbital phase 0 allow for an analysis of the photoionzed stellar wind at high resolution, but because of the strong variability due to soft X-ray absorption dips, simultaneous multi-satellite observations are required to track and understand the continuum, too. Besides an earlier joint Chandra and RXTE observation, we present first results from a recent campaign which represents the best broad-band spectrum of Cyg X-1 ever achieved: On 2008 April 18/19 we observed this source with XMM-Newton, Chandra, Suzaku, RXTE, INTEGRAL, Swift, and AGILE in X- and gamma-rays, as well as with VLA in the radio. After superior conjunction of the black hole, we detect soft X-ray absorption dips likely due to clumps in the focused wind covering >95 % of the X-ray source, with column densities likely to be of several 10^23 cm^-2, which also affect photon energies above 20 keV via Compton scattering.Comment: 10 pages, contributed talk at the 7th Microquasar Workshop, Foca, Turkey, Sept. 1-5, 200