Photoproduction of phi(1020) mesons on the proton at large momentum transfer

The cross section for $\phi$ meson photoproduction on the proton has been measured for the first time up to a four-momentum transfer -t = 4 GeV^2, using the CLAS detector at the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility. At low four-momentum transfer, the differential cross section is well described by Pomeron exchange. At large four-momentum transfer, above -t = 1.8 GeV^2, the data support a model where the Pomeron is resolved into its simplest component, two gluons, which may couple to any quark in the proton and in the $\phi$.Comment: 5 pages; 7 figure

Comment on the narrow structure reported by Amaryan et al

The CLAS Collaboration provides a comment on the physics interpretation of the results presented in a paper published by M. Amaryan et al. regarding the possible observation of a narrow structure in the mass spectrum of a photoproduction experiment.Comment: to be published in Physical Review

Measurement of Exclusive pi(0) Electroproduction Structure Functions and their Relationship to Transverse Generalized Parton Distributions

Exclusive pi(0) electroproduction at a beam energy of 5.75 GeV has been measured with the Jefferson Lab CLAS spectrometer. Differential cross sections were measured at more than 1800 kinematic values in Q(2), x(B), t, and phi(pi), in the Q(2) range from 1.0 to 4.6 GeV2, -t up to 2 GeV2, and x(B) from 0.1 to 0.58. Structure functions sigma(T) + epsilon sigma(L), sigma(TT), and sigma(LT) were extracted as functions of t for each of 17 combinations of Q(2) and x(B). The data were compared directly with two handbag-based calculations including both longitudinal and transversity generalized parton distributions (GPDs). Inclusion of only longitudinal GPDs very strongly underestimates sigma(T) + epsilon sigma(L) and fails to account for sigma(TT) and sigma(LT), while inclusion of transversity GPDs brings the calculations into substantially better agreement with the data. There is very strong sensitivity to the relative contributions of nucleon helicity-flip and helicity nonflip processes. The results confirm that exclusive pi(0) electroproduction offers direct experimental access to the transversity GPDs

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

Differential cross sections and spin density matrix elements for the reaction gamma p -> p omega

High-statistics differential cross sections and spin density matrix elements for the reaction gamma p -> p omega have been measured using the CLAS at Jefferson Lab for center-of-mass (CM) energies from threshold up to 2.84 GeV. Results are reported in 112 10-MeV wide CM energy bins, each subdivided into cos(theta_CM) bins of width 0.1. These are the most precise and extensive omega photoproduction measurements to date. A number of prominent structures are clearly present in the data. Many of these have not previously been observed due to limited statistics in earlier measurements

First measurement of direct f0(980)f_0(980) photoproduction on the proton

We report on the results of the first measurement of exclusive $f_0(980)$ meson photoproduction on protons for $E_\gamma=3.0 - 3.8$ GeV and $-t = 0.4-1.0$ GeV$^2$. Data were collected with the CLAS detector at the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility. The resonance was detected via its decay in the $\pi^+ \pi^-$ channel by performing a partial wave analysis of the reaction $\gamma p \to p \pi^+ \pi^-$. Clear evidence of the $f_0(980)$ meson was found in the interference between $P$ and $S$ waves at $M_{\pi^+ \pi^-}\sim 1$ GeV. The $S$-wave differential cross section integrated in the mass range of the $f_0(980)$ was found to be a factor of 50 smaller than the cross section for the $\rho$ meson. This is the first time the $f_0(980)$ meson has been measured in a photoproduction experiment

eta-prime photoproduction on the proton for photon energies from 1.527 to 2.227 GeV

Differential cross sections for the reaction gamma p -> eta-prime p have been measured with the CLAS spectrometer and a tagged photon beam with energies from 1.527 to 2.227 GeV. The results reported here possess much greater accuracy than previous measurements. Analyses of these data indicate for the first time the coupling of the etaprime N channel to both the S_11(1535) and P_11(1710) resonances, known to couple strongly to the eta N channel in photoproduction on the proton, and the importance of j=3/2 resonances in the process.Comment: 6 pages, 3 figure

First Measurement of Transferred Polarization in the Exclusive e p --> e' K+ Lambda Reaction

The first measurements of the transferred polarization for the exclusive ep --> e'K+ Lambda reaction have been performed in Hall B at the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility using the CLAS spectrometer. A 2.567 GeV electron beam was used to measure the hyperon polarization over a range of Q2 from 0.3 to 1.5 (GeV/c)2, W from 1.6 to 2.15 GeV, and over the full center-of-mass angular range of the K+ meson. Comparison with predictions of hadrodynamic models indicates strong sensitivity to the underlying resonance contributions. A non-relativistic quark model interpretation of our data suggests that the s-sbar quark pair is produced with spins predominantly anti-aligned. Implications for the validity of the widely used 3P0 quark-pair creation operator are discussed.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figure

Search for medium modification of the ρ\rho meson

The photoproduction of vector mesons on various nuclei has been studied using the CEBAF Large Acceptance Spectrometer (CLAS) at Jefferson Laboratory. The vector mesons, $\rho$, $\omega$, and $\phi$, are observed via their decay to $e^+e^-$, in order to reduce the effects of final state interactions in the nucleus. Of particular interest are possible in-medium effects on the properties of the $\rho$ meson. The $\rho$ spectral function is extracted from the data on various nuclei, carbon, iron, and titanium, and compared to the spectrum from liquid deuterium, which is relatively free of nuclear effects. We observe no significant mass shift for the $\rho$ meson; however, there is some widening of the resonance in titanium and iron, which is consistent with expected collisional broadening.Comment: 8 pages, 4 figure

Measurement of the Polarized Structure Function σLT′\sigma_{LT^\prime} for p(e⃗,e′π+)np(\vec{e},e'\pi^+)n in the Δ(1232)\Delta(1232) Resonance Region

The polarized longitudinal-transverse structure function $\sigma_{LT^\prime}$ has been measured using the $p(\vec e,e'\pi^+)n$ reaction in the $\Delta(1232)$ resonance region at $Q^2=0.40$ and 0.65 GeV$^2$. No previous $\sigma_{LT^\prime}$ data exist for this reaction channel. The kinematically complete experiment was performed at Jefferson Lab with the CEBAF Large Acceptance Spectrometer (CLAS) using longitudinally polarized electrons at an energy of 1.515 GeV. A partial wave analysis of the data shows generally better agreement with recent phenomenological models of pion electroproduction compared to the previously measured $\pi^0 p$ channel. A fit to both $\pi^0 p$ and $\pi^+ n$ channels using a unitary isobar model suggests the unitarized Born terms provide a consistent description of the non-resonant background. The $t$-channel pion pole term is important in the $\pi^0 p$ channel through a rescattering correction, which could be model-dependent.Comment: 6 pages, LaTex, 5 eps figures: Submitted to PRC/Brief Reports v2: Updated referenc