Delta rho pi interaction leading to N* and Delta* resonances

We have performed a calculation for the three body $\Delta \rho \pi$ system by using the fixed center approximation to Faddeev equations, taking the interaction between $\Delta$ and $\rho$, $\Delta$ and$\pi$, and $\rho$ and $\pi$ from the chiral unitary approach. We find several peaks in the modulus squared of the three-body scattering amplitude, indicating the existence of resonances, which can be associated to known $I=1/2, 3/2$ and $J^P=1/2^+, 3/2^+$ and $5/2^+$ baryon states.Comment: Presented at the 21st European Conference on Few-Body Problems in Physics, Salamanca, Spain, 30 August - 3 September 201

Identification and molecular mechanisms of the rapid tonicity-induced relocalization of the aquaporin 4 channel

The aquaporin family of integral membrane proteins is comprised of channels that mediate cellular water flow. Aquaporin 4 (AQP4) is highly expressed in the glial cells of the central nervous system and facilitates the osmotically-driven pathological brain swelling associated with stroke and traumatic brain injury. Here we show that AQP4 cell surface expression can be rapidly and reversibly regulated in response to changes of tonicity in primary cortical rat astrocytes and in transfected HEK293 cells. The translocation mechanism involves protein kinase A (PKA) activation, influx of extracellular calcium and activation of calmodulin. We identify five putative PKA phosphorylation sites and use site-directed mutagenesis to show that only phosphorylation at one of these sites, serine- 276, is necessary for the translocation response. We discuss our findings in the context of the identification of new therapeutic approaches to treating brain oedema

Production of ω\omega and ϕ\phi Mesons in Near-Threshold πN\pi N Reactions: Baryon Resonances and Validity of the OZI Rule

Results of a combined analysis are presented for the production of $\omega$ and $\phi$ mesons in $\pi N$ reactions in the near-threshold region using throughoutly a conventional ''non-strange'' dynamics based on such processes which are allowed by the non-ideal $\omega-\phi$ mixing. We show that strong interferences of the $t$ (meson exchange) and $s$ and $u$ (nucleon and nucleon resonance) channels differ significantly in $\omega$ and $\phi$ production amplitudes. This leads to a decrease of the relative yields in comparison with expectations based on one-channel models with standard $\omega - \phi$ mixing. We find a strong and non-trivial difference between observables in $\omega$ and $\phi$ production reactions caused by the different role of the nucleon and nucleon resonance amplitudes. A series of predictions for the experimental study of this effect is presented.Comment: 22 pages with fig

Photoproduction of phi mesons from nuclei

We investigate the consequences of possible medium modifications of the phi meson at finite nuclear matter density on the K+K- mass distribution in photonuclear reactions. The inclusive cross sections for K+K- pair production are calculated within a semi--classical BUU transport model, which combines the initial state interaction of the incoming photon with the final state interactions of the produced particles. The effects of final state interactions on the invariant mass distribution of the observed K+K- pairs are discussed in detail. In addition we calculate the Coulomb correction and possible effects of hadronic kaon potentials on the K+K- mass spectrum. Due to the large cross sections for reactions of the final state particles with the surrounding nuclear medium and the influence of the Coulomb potential we find no measurable sensitivity of the observables to the phi properties at finite baryon density.Comment: revtex4, 24 page

First measurement of the circular beam asymmetry in the gamma p --> pi0 eta p reaction

The circular photon asymmetry for pi0 eta photoproduction on the proton was measured for the first time at the tagged photon facility of the MAMI C accelerator using the Crystal Ball/TAPS photon spectrometer. The experimental results are interpreted within a phenomenological isobar model that confirms the dominant role of the Delta(1700)D33 resonance. The measured asymmetry allows us to identify small contributions from positive-parity resonances via interference terms with the dominant D33 amplitude.Comment: 11 pages, 3 figures, submitted to Phys.Lett.

Measurement of the beam-helicity asymmetry in photoproduction of π0η pairs on carbon, aluminum, and lead

The beam-helicity asymmetry was measured, for the first time, in photoproduction of π0η pairs on carbon, aluminum, and lead, with the A2 experimental setup at MAMI. The results are compared to an earlier measurement on a free proton and to the corresponding theoretical calculations. The Mainz model is used to predict the beam-helicity asymmetry for the nuclear targets. The present results indicate that the photoproduction mechanism for π0η pairs on nuclei is similar to photoproduction on a free nucleon. This process is dominated by the D33 partial wave with the ηΔ(1232) intermediate state

Measurement of the decay η′ →π0π0η at MAMI

An experimental study of the η′→π0π0η→6γ decay has been conducted with the best up-to-date statistical accuracy, by measuring η′ mesons produced in the γp→η′p reaction with the A2 tagged-photon facility at the Mainz Microtron, MAMI. The results obtained for the standard parametrization of the η′→π0π0η matrix element are consistent with the most recent results for η′→ππη decays, but have smaller uncertainties. The available statistics and experimental resolution allowed, for the first time, an observation of a structure below the π+π- mass threshold, the magnitude and sign of which, checked within the framework of the nonrelativistic effective-field theory, demonstrated good agreement with the cusp that was predicted based on the ππ scattering length combination, a0-a2, extracted from K→3π decays

First measurement using elliptically polarized photons of the double-polarization observable E for γp→pπ0 and γp→nπ+

We report the measurement of the helicity asymmetry E for the pπ0 and nπ+ final states using, for the first time, an elliptically polarized photon beam in combination with a longitudinally polarized target at the Crystal Ball experiment at MAMI. The results agree very well with data that were taken with a circularly polarized photon beam, showing that it is possible to simultaneously measure polarization observables that require linearly (e.g., G) and circularly polarized photons (e.g., E) and a longitudinally polarized target. The new data cover a photon energy range 270–1400 MeV for the pπ0 final state (230–842 MeV for the nπ+ final state) and the full range of pion polar angles, θ, providing the most precise measurement of the observable E. A moment analysis gives a clear observation of the pη cusp in the pπ0 final state