Single-Pion Production in pp Collisions at 0.95 GeV/c (II)

The single-pion production reactions $pp\to d\pi^+$, $pp\to np\pi^+$ and $pp\to pp\pi^0$ were measured at a beam momentum of 0.95 GeV/c ($T_p \approx$ 400 MeV) using the short version of the COSY-TOF spectrometer. The central calorimeter provided particle identification, energy determination and neutron detection in addition to time-of-flight and angle measurements from other detector parts. Thus all pion production channels were recorded with 1-4 overconstraints. Main emphasis is put on the presentation and discussion of the $np\pi^+$ channel, since the results on the other channels have already been published previously. The total and differential cross sections obtained are compared to theoretical calculations. In contrast to the $pp\pi^0$ channel we find in the $np\pi^+$ channel a strong influence of the $\Delta$ excitation already at this energy close to threshold. In particular we find a $(3 cos^2\Theta + 1)$ dependence in the pion angular distribution, typical for a pure s-channel $\Delta$ excitation and identical to that observed in the $d\pi^+$ channel. Since the latter is understood by a s-channel resonance in the $^1D_2$ $pn$ partial wave, we discuss an analogous scenario for the $pn\pi^+$ channel

Measurement of the Eta Production in Proton Proton Collisions with the COSY Time of Flight Spectrometer

The reaction pp -> pp eta was measured at excess energies of 15 and 41 MeV at an external target of the Juelich Cooler Synchrotron COSY with the Time of Flight Spectrometer. About 25000 events were measured for the excess energy of 15 MeV and about 8000 for 41 MeV. Both protons of the process pp eta were detected with an acceptance of nearly 100% and the eta was reconstructed by the missing mass technique. For both excess energies the angular distributions are found to be nearly isotropic. In the invariant mass distributions strong deviations from the pure phase space distributions are seen.Comment: 15 pages, 14 figures, 4 table

On the Production of π+π+\pi^+\pi^+ Pairs in pp Collisions at 0.8 GeV

Data accumulated recently for the exclusive measurement of the $pp\to pp\pi^+\pi^-$ reaction at a beam energy of 0.793 GeV using the COSY-TOF spectrometer have been analyzed with respect to possible events from the $pp \to nn\pi^+\pi^+$ reaction channel. The latter is expected to be the only $\pi\pi$ production channel, which contains no major contributions from resonance excitation close to threshold and hence should be a good testing ground for chiral dynamics in the $\pi\pi$ production process. No single event has been found, which meets all conditions for being a candidate for the $pp \to nn \pi^+\pi^+$ reaction. This gives an upper limit for the cross section of 0.16 $\mu$b (90% C.L.), which is more than an order of magnitude smaller than the cross sections of the other two-pion production channels at the same incident energy

Production of ω\omega mesons in proton-proton collisions

The cross section for the production of $\omega$ mesons in proton-proton collisions has been measured in a previously unexplored region of incident energies. Cross sections were extracted at 92 MeV and 173 MeV excess energy, respectively. The angular distribution of the $\omega$ at $\epsilon$=173 MeV is strongly anisotropic, demonstrating the importance of partial waves beyond pure s-wave production at this energy.Comment: 12 pages, 4 figures submitted to Physics Letters B v2: figure 1 added, discussion detailing the data analysis, figure 3 (fig. 2 in v1) modified in line styles and systematic errors displayed on dat

Comparison of Isoscalar Vector Meson Production Cross Sections in Proton-Proton Collisions

The reaction $pp\to pp\bf \omega$ was investigated with the TOF spectrometer, which is an external experiment at the accelerator COSY (Forschungszentrum J\"ulich, Germany). Total as well as differential cross sections were determined at an excess energy of $93 MeV$ ($p_{beam}=2950 MeV/c$). Using the total cross section of $(9.0\pm 0.7 \pm1.1) \mu b$ for the reaction $pp\to pp\omega$ determined here and existing data for the reaction $pp\to pp\bf \phi$, the ratio $\mathcal{R}_{\phi/\omega}=\sigma_\phi/\sigma_\omega$ turns out to be significantly larger than expected by the Okubo-Zweig-Iizuka (OZI) rule. The uncertainty of this ratio is considerably smaller than in previous determinations. The differential distributions show that the $\omega$ production is still dominated by S-wave production at this excess energy, however higher partial waves clearly contribute. A comparison of the measured angular distributions for $\omega$ production to published distributions for $\phi$ production at $83 MeV$ shows that the data are consistent with an identical production mechanism for both vector mesons

Single \pi^- production in np collisions for excess energies up to 90 MeV

The quasifree reaction np\to pp\pim was studied in a kinematically complete experiment by bombarding a liquid hydrogen target with a deuteron beam of momentum 1.85 GeV/c and analyzing the data along the lines of the spectator model. In addition to the three charged ejectiles the spectator proton was also detected in the large-acceptance time-of-flight spectrometer COSY-TOF. It was identified by its momentum and flight direction thus yielding access to the Fermi motion of the bound neutron and to the effective neutron 4-momentum vector $\mathbb{P}_n$ which differed from event to event. A range of almost 90 MeV excess energy above threshold was covered. Energy dependent angular distributions, invariant mass spectra as well as fully covered Dalitz plots were deduced. Sizeable $pp$ FSI effects were found as were contributions of $p$ and $d$ partial waves. The behavior of the elementary cross section $\sigma_{01}$ close to threshold is discussed in view of new cross section data. In comparison with existing literature data the results provide a sensitive test of the spectator model.Comment: 21 pages, 9 figures, 4 tables, submitted to EPJ

Improved study of a possible Theta+ production in the pp -> p K0 sigma+ reaction with the COSY-TOF spectrometer

The pp -> p K0 Sigma+ reaction was investigated with the TOF spectrometer at COSY at 3.059 GeV/c incident beam momentum. The main objective was to clarify whether or not a narrow exotic S = +1 resnance, the Theta+ pentaquark, is populated at 1.53 GeV/c2 in the K0 p subsystem with a data sample of much higher statistical significance compared to the previously reported data in this channel. An analysis of these data does not confirm the existence of the Theta+ pentaquark. This is expressed as an upper limit for the cross section sigma (pp -> p K0 Sigma+) < 0.15 microbarn at the 95 percent confidence level.Comment: 11 pages, 5 figure

Systematic study of the pp -> pp omega reaction

A systematic study of the production of omega-mesons in proton-proton-collisions was carried out in a kinematically complete experiment at three excess energies(epsilon= 92, 128, 173MeV). Both protons were detected using the large-acceptance COSY-TOF spectrometer at an external beam line at the Cooler Synchrotron COSY at Forschungszentrum J\"ulich. The total cross section, angular distributions of both omega-mesons and protons were measured and presented in various reference frames such as the overall CMS, helicity and Jackson frame. In addition, the orientation of the omega-spin and invariant mass spectra were determined. We observe omega-production to take place dominantly in Ss and Sp final states at epsilon = 92, 128 MeV and, additionally, in Sd at epsilon= 173 MeV. No obvious indication of resonant omega-production via N^*-resonances was found, as proton angular distributions are almost isotropic and invariant mass spectra are compatible with phase space distributions. A dominant role of ^3P_1 and ^1S_0 initial partial waves for omega-production was concluded from the orientation of the decay plane of the omega-meson. Although the Jackson angle distributions in the omega-p-Jackson frame are anisotropic we argue that this is not an indication of a resonance but rather a kinematical effect reflecting the anisotropy of the omega angular distribution. The helicity angle distribution in the omega-p-helicity frame shows an anisotropy which probably reflects effects of the omega angular momenta in the final state; this observable may be, in addition to the orientation of the omega decay plane, the most sensitive one to judge the validity of theoretical descriptions of the production process.Comment: 17 pages, 16 figures, accepted for publication in EPJ