Differential Cross Section for γ d →ωd Using CLAS at Jefferson Lab

The cross section for coherent ω-meson photoproduction off the deuteron has been measured for the first time as a function of the momentum transfer t=(Pγ−Pω)2 and photon energy Eγ using the CLAS detector at the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility. The cross sections are measured in the energy range 1.4 γ\u3c3.4 GeV. A model based on ω−N rescattering is consistent with the data at low and intermediate momentum transfer, |t|. For 2.8 γ\u3c3.4 GeV, the total cross-section of ω−N scattering, based on fits within the framework of the Vector Meson Dominance model, is in the range of 30–40 mb

First Measurement of Λ Electroproduction off Nuclei in the Current and Target Fragmentation Regions

We report results of Λ hyperon production in semi-inclusive deep-inelastic scattering off deuterium, carbon, iron, and lead targets obtained with the CLAS detector and the Continuous Electron Beam Accelerator Facility 5.014 GeV electron beam. These results represent the first measurements of the Λ multiplicity ratio and transverse momentum broadening as a function of the energy fraction (z) in the current and target fragmentation regions. The multiplicity ratio exhibits a strong suppression at high zand an enhancement at low z. The measured transverse momentum broadening is an order of magnitude greater than that seen for light mesons. This indicates that the propagating entity interacts very strongly with the nuclear medium, which suggests that propagation of diquark configurations in the nuclear medium takes place at least part of the time, even at high z. The trends of these results are qualitatively described by the Giessen Boltzmann-Uehling-Uhlenbeck transport model, particularly for the multiplicity ratios. These observations will potentially open a new era of studies of the structure of the nucleon as well as of strange baryons

Differential cross sections and polarization observables from CLAS K* photoproduction and the search for new N* states

The reaction gamma p -\u3e K*(+)Lambda was measured using the CLAS detector for photon energies between the threshold and 3.9 GeV at the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility. For the first time, spin-density matrix elements have been extracted for this reaction. Differential cross sections, spin density matrix elements, and the Lambda recoil polarization are compared with theoretical predictions using the BnGa partial wave analysis. The main result is the evidence for significant contributions from N(1895) 1/2(-) and N(2100) 1/2(+) to the reaction. Branching ratios for decays into K*Lambda for these resonances and further resonances are reported. (C) 2017 The Author. Published by Elsevier B.V

Beam-target double-spin asymmetry in quasielastic electron scattering off the deuteron with CLAS

Background: The deuteron plays a pivotal role in nuclear and hadronic physics, as both the simplest bound multinucleon system and as an effective neutron target. Quasielastic electron scattering on the deuteron is a benchmark reaction to test our understanding of deuteron structure and the properties and interactions of the two nucleons bound in the deuteron. Purpose: The experimental data presented here can be used to test state-of-the-art models of the deuteron and the two-nucleon interaction in the final state after two-body breakup of the deuteron. Focusing on polarization degrees of freedom, we gain information on spin-momentum correlations in the deuteron ground state (due to the D-state admixture) and on the limits of the impulse approximation (IA) picture as it applies to measurements of spin-dependent observables like spin structure functions for bound nucleons. Information on this reaction can also be used to reduce systematic uncertainties on the determination of neutron form factors or deuteron polarization through quasielastic polarized electron scattering. Method: We measured the beam-target double-spin asymmetry (A(parallel to)) for quasielastic electron scattering off the deuteron at several beam energies (1.6-1.7, 2.5, 4.2, and 5.6-5.8 GeV), using the CEBAF Large Acceptance Spectrometer (CLAS) at the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility. The deuterons were polarized along (or opposite to) the beam direction. The double-spin asymmetries were measured as a function of photon virtuality Q(2) (0.13-3.17 (GeV/c)(2)), missing momentum (p(m) = 0.0-0.5 GeV/c), and the angle between the (inferred) spectator neutron and the momentum transfer direction (theta(nq)). Results: The results are compared with a recent model that includes final-state interactions (FSI) using a complete parametrization of nucleon-nucleon scattering, as well as a simplified model using the plane wave impulse approximation (PWIA). We find overall good agreement with both the PWIA and FSI expectations at low to medium missing momenta (p(m) \u3c = 0.25 GeV/c), including the change of the asymmetry due to the contribution of the deuteron D state at higher momenta. At the highest missing momenta, our data clearly agree better with the calculations including FSI. Conclusions: Final-state interactions seem to play a lesser role for polarization observables in deuteron two-body electrodisintegration than for absolute cross sections. Our data, while limited in statistical power, indicate that PWIA models work reasonably well to understand the asymmetries at lower missing momenta. In turn, this information can be used to extract the product of beam and target polarization (PbPt) from quasielastic electron-deuteron scattering, which is useful for measurements of spin observables in electron-neutron inelastic scattering. However, at the highest missing (neutron) momenta, FSI effects become important and must be accounted for

Beam-target helicity asymmetry for γ→n→→π−p in the N*resonance region

We report the first beam-target double-polarization asymmetries in the γ þ nðpÞ → π− þ pðpÞ reaction spanning the nucleon resonance region from invariant mass W ¼ 1500 to 2300 MeV. Circularly polarized photons and longitudinally polarized deuterons in solid hydrogen deuteride (HD) have been used with the CEBAF Large Acceptance Spectrometer (CLAS) at Jefferson Lab. The exclusive final state has been extracted using three very different analyses that show excellent agreement, and these have been used to deduce the E polarization observable for an effective neutron target. These results have been incorporated into new partial wave analyses and have led to significant revisions for several γnN* resonance photocouplings

Target and Beam-Target Spin Asymmetries in Exclusive Pion Electroproduction for \u3cem\u3eQ\u3c/em\u3e\u3csup\u3e2\u3c/sup\u3e \u3e 1 GeV\u3csup\u3e2\u3c/sup\u3e. II. \u3cem\u3eep\u3c/em\u3e → \u3cem\u3eeπ\u3c/em\u3e\u3csup\u3e0\u3c/sup\u3e\u3cem\u3ep\u3c/em\u3e

Beam-target double-spin asymmetries and target single-spin asymmetries were measured for the exclusive π0 electroproduction reaction γ∗p → pπ0, expanding an analysis of the γ∗p → nπ+ reaction from the same experiment. The results were obtained from scattering of 6-GeV longitudinally polarized electrons off longitudinally polarized protons using the CEBAF Large Acceptance Spectrometer at Jefferson Laboratory. The kinematic ranges covered are 1.1 \u3c W \u3c 3 GeV and 1 \u3c Q2 \u3c 6 GeV2. Results were obtained for about 5700 bins in W, Q2, cos(θ∗), and ϕ∗. The beam-target asymmetries were found to generally be greater than zero, with relatively modest ϕ∗ dependence. The target asymmetries exhibit very strong ϕ∗ dependence, with a change in sign occurring between results at low W and high W, in contrast to π+ electroproduction. Reasonable agreement is found with phenomenological fits to previous data for W \u3c 1.6 GeV, but significant differences are seen at higher W. When combined with cross-sectional measurements, as well as π+ observables, the present results will provide powerful constraints on nucleon resonance amplitudes at moderate and large values of Q2, for resonances with masses as high as 2.4 GeV

Measurement of the Helicity Asymmetry \u3cem\u3eE\u3c/em\u3e in \u3cem\u3eω\u3c/em\u3e → \u3cem\u3eπ\u3c/em\u3e\u3csup\u3e+\u3c/sup\u3e\u3cem\u3eπ\u3c/em\u3e\u3csup\u3e−\u3c/sup\u3e\u3cem\u3eπ\u3c/em\u3e\u3csup\u3e0\u3c/sup\u3e Photoproduction

The double-polarization observable E was studied for the reaction γp → pω using the CEBAF Large Acceptance Spectrometer (CLAS) in Hall B at the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility and the longitudinally polarized frozen-spin target (FROST). The observable was measured from the charged decay mode of the meson, ω → π+π−π0, using a circularly polarized tagged-photon beam with energies ranging from the ω threshold at 1.1 to 2.3 GeV. A partial-wave analysis within the Bonn-Gatchina framework found dominant contributions from the 3/2+ partial wave near threshold, which is identified with the subthreshold N(1720)3/2+ nucleon resonance. To describe the entire data set, which consisted of ω differential cross sections and a large variety of polarization observables, further contributions from other nucleon resonances were found to be necessary. With respect to nonresonant mechanisms, π exchange in the t channel was found to remain small across the analyzed energy range, while Pomeron t-channel exchange gradually grew from the reaction threshold to dominate all other contributions above W ≈ 2 GeV