Search for eta-mesic 4He in the dd->3He n pi0 and dd->3He p pi- reactions with the WASA-at-COSY facility

The search for 4He-eta bound states was performed with the WASA-at-COSY facility via the measurement of the excitation function for the dd->3He n pi0 and dd->3He p pi- processes. The beam momentum was varied continuously between 2.127 GeV/c and 2.422 GeV/c, corresponding to the excess energy for the dd->4He eta reaction ranging from Q=-70 MeV to Q=30 MeV. The luminosity was determined based on the dd->3He n reaction and quasi-free proton-proton scattering via dd->pp n_spectator n_spectator reactions. The excitation functions determined independently for the measured reactions do not reveal a structure which could be interpreted as a narrow mesic nucleus. Therefore, the upper limits of the total cross sections for the bound state production and decay in dd->(4He-eta)_bound->3He n pi0 and dd->(4He-eta)_bound->3He p pi- processes were determined taking into account the isospin relation between both the channels considered. The results of the analysis depend on the assumptions of the N* momentum distribution in the anticipated mesic-4He. Assuming as in the previous works, that this is identical with the distribution of nucleons bound with 20 MeV in 4He, we determined that (for the mesic bound state width in the range from 5 MeV to 50 MeV) the upper limits at 90% confidence level are about 3 nb and about 6 nb for npi0 and ppi- channels, respectively. However, based on the recent theoretical findings of the N*(1535) momentum distribution in the N*-3He nucleus bound by 3.6 MeV, we find that the WASA-at-COSY detector acceptance decreases and hence the corresponding upper limits are 5 nb and 10 nb for npi0 and ppi- channels respectively.Comment: This article will be submitted to JHE

Search for the eta-mesic 4He with WASA-at-COSY detector

An exclusive measurement of the excitation function for the dd->3Heppi- reaction was performed at the Cooler Synchrotron COSY-Juelich with the WASA-at-COSY detection system. The data were taken during a slow acceleration of the beam from 2.185 GeV/c to 2.400 GeV/c crossing the kinematic threshold for the eta meson production in the dd->4He-eta reaction at 2.336 GeV/c. The corresponding excess energy with respect to the 4He-eta system varied from -51.4MeV to 22MeV. The integrated luminosity in the experiment was determined using the dd->3Hen reaction. The shape of the excitation function for the dd->3Heppi- was examined. No signal of the 4He-eta bound state was observed. An upper limit for the cross-section for the bound state formation and decay in the process dd->(4He-eta)bound->3Heppi- was determined on the 90% confidence level and it varies from 20nb to 27nb for the bound state width ranging from 5MeV to 35MeV, respectively.Comment: 8 pages, 9 figure

Cross section ratio and angular distributions of the reaction p + d -> 3He + eta at 48.8 MeV and 59.8 MeV excess energy

We present new data for angular distributions and on the cross section ratio of the p + d -> 3He + eta reaction at excess energies of Q = 48.8 MeV and Q = 59.8 MeV. The data have been obtained at the WASA-at-COSY experiment (Forschungszentrum J\"ulich) using a proton beam and a deuterium pellet target. While the shape of obtained angular distributions show only a slow variation with the energy, the new results indicate a distinct and unexpected total cross section fluctuation between Q = 20 MeV and Q = 60 MeV, which might indicate the variation of the production mechanism within this energy interval.Comment: 9 pages, 9 figure

Beam-helicity asymmetries for single-hadron production in semi-inclusive deep-inelastic scattering from unpolarized hydrogen and deuterium targets

A measurement of beam-helicity asymmetries for single-hadron production in deep-inelastic scattering is presented. Data from the scattering of 27.6 GeV electrons and positrons off gaseous hydrogen and deuterium targets were collected by the HERMES experiment. The asymmetries are presented separately as a function of the Bjorken scaling variable, the hadron transverse momentum, and the fractional energy for charged pions and kaons as well as for protons and anti-protons. These asymmetries are also presented as a function of the three aforementioned kinematic variables simultaneously

Evidence for a New Resonance from Polarized Neutron-Proton Scattering

Exclusive and kinematically complete high-statistics measurements of quasifree polarized $\vec{n}p$ scattering have been performed in the energy region of the narrow resonance structure $d^*$ with $I(J^P) = 0(3^+)$, $M \approx$ 2380 MeV/$c^2$ and $\Gamma \approx$ 70 MeV observed recently in the double-pionic fusion channels $pn \to d\pi^0\pi^0$ and $pn \to d\pi^+\pi^-$. The experiment was carried out with the WASA detector setup at COSY having a polarized deuteron beam impinged on the hydrogen pellet target and utilizing the quasifree process $\vec{d}p \to np + p_{spectator}$. That way the $np$ analyzing power $A_y$ was measured over a large angular range. The obtained $A_y$ angular distributions deviate systematically from the current SAID SP07 NN partial-wave solution. Incorporating the new $A_y$ data into the SAID analysis produces a pole in the $^3D_3 - ^3G_3$ waves as expected from the $d^*$ resonance hypothesis

Transverse-target-spin asymmetry in exclusive ω\omega-meson electroproduction

Hard exclusive electroproduction of $\omega$ mesons is studied with the HERMES spectrometer at the DESY laboratory by scattering 27.6 GeV positron and electron beams off a transversely polarized hydrogen target. The amplitudes of five azimuthal modulations of the single-spin asymmetry of the cross section with respect to the transverse proton polarization are measured. They are determined in the entire kinematic region as well as for two bins in photon virtuality and momentum transfer to the nucleon. Also, a separation of asymmetry amplitudes into longitudinal and transverse components is done. These results are compared to a phenomenological model that includes the pion pole contribution. Within this model, the data favor a positive $\pi\omega$ transition form factor.Comment: DESY Report 15-14

Longitudinal double-spin asymmetries in semi-inclusive deep-inelastic scattering of electrons and positrons by protons and deuterons

A comprehensive collection of results on longitudinal double-spin asymmetries is presented for charged pions and kaons produced in semi-inclusive deep-inelastic scattering of electrons and positrons on the proton and deuteron, based on the full HERMES data set. The dependence of the asymmetries on hadron transverse momentum and azimuthal angle extends the sensitivity to the flavor structure of the nucleon beyond the distribution functions accessible in the collinear framework. No strong dependence on those variables is observed. In addition, the hadron charge-difference asymmetry is presented, which under certain model assumptions provides access to the helicity distributions of valence quarks

ABC Effect in Basic Double-Pionic Fusion --- Observation of a new resonance?

We report on a high-statistics measurement of the basic double pionic fusion reaction $pn \to d\pi^0\pi^0$ over the energy region of the so-called ABC effect, a pronounced low-mass enhancement in the $\pi\pi$-invariant mass spectrum. The measurements were performed with the WASA detector setup at COSY. The data reveal the ABC effect to be associated with a Lorentzian shaped energy dependence in the integral cross section. The observables are consistent with a resonance with $I(J^P) =0(3^+)$ in both $pn$ and $\Delta\Delta$ systems. Necessary further tests of the resonance interpretation are discussed