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    A Study of the \eta \pi^{0} Spectrum and Search for a J^{PC} = 1^{-+} Exotic Meson

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    A partial wave analysis (PWA) of the of the ηπ0\eta \pi ^0 system (where η→γγ\eta \to \gamma \gamma) produced in the charge exchange reaction π−p→ηπ0n\pi ^-p\to \eta \pi ^0n at an incident momentum of 18 GeV/c/c is presented as a function of ηπ0{\eta \pi ^0} invariant mass, mηπ0m_{\eta\pi^0}, and momentum transfer squared, tπ−→ηπt_{\pi^{-}\to\eta\pi}, from the incident π−\pi^- to the outgoing ηπ0{\eta\pi ^0} system. SS, PP and DD waves were included in the PWA. The a0(980)a_0(980) and a2(1320)a_2(1320) states are clearly observed in the overall ηπ0{\eta\pi ^0} effective mass distribution as well as in the amplitudes associated with SS wave and DD waves respectively after partial wave decomposition. The observed distributions in moments (averages of spherical harmonics) were compared to the results from the PWA and the two are consistent. The distribution in tπ−→ηπt_{\pi^{-}\to\eta\pi} for individual DD waves associated with natural and unnatural parity exchange in the tt-channel are consistent with Regge phenomenology. Of particular interest in this study is the PP wave since this leads to an exotic JPC=1−+J^{PC}=1^{-+} for the ηπ\eta \pi system. A PP wave is present in the data, however attempts to describe the mass dependence of the amplitude and phase motion with respect to the DD wave as a Breit-Wigner resonance are problematic. This has implications regarding the existence of a reported exotic JPC=1−+J^{PC} = 1^{-+} meson decaying into ηπ0\eta \pi^0 with a mass near 1.4 GeV/c2/c^2.Comment: 19 pages, 29 figures, to appear in Phys. Rev.
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