First results from the longitudinally polarized frozen-spin target (FROST) program are reported. The double-polarization observable E, for the reaction γ→p→→π+n, has been measured using a circularly ...polarized tagged-photon beam, with energies from 0.35 to 2.37 GeV. The final-state pions were detected with the CEBAF Large Acceptance Spectrometer in Hall B at the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility. These polarization data agree fairly well with previous partial-wave analyses at low photon energies. Over much of the covered energy range, however, significant deviations are observed, particularly in the high-energy region where high-L multipoles contribute. The data have been included in new multipole analyses resulting in updated nucleon resonance parameters. We report updated fits from the Bonn–Gatchina, Jülich–Bonn, and SAID groups.
We present new precision measurements of the elastic electron-proton scattering cross section for momentum transfer (Q^{2}) up to 15.75 (GeV/c)^{2}. Combined with existing data, these provide an ...improved extraction of the proton magnetic form factor at high Q^{2} and double the range over which a longitudinal or transverse separation of the cross section can be performed. The difference between our results and polarization data agrees with that observed at lower Q^{2} and attributed to hard two-photon exchange (TPE) effects, extending to 8 (GeV/c)^{2} the range of Q^{2} for which a discrepancy is established at >95% confidence. We use the discrepancy to quantify the size of TPE contributions needed to explain the cross section at high Q^{2}.
We report measurements of the exclusive neutral pion electroproduction cross section off protons at large values of xB (0.36, 0.48, and 0.60) and Q2 (3.1 to 8.4 GeV2) obtained from Jefferson Lab ...Hall A experiment E12-06-014. The corresponding structure functions dσT/ d t + ε dσL/ d t , dσTT / d t , d σ L T / d t , and d σ L T ′ / d t are extracted as a function of the proton momentum transfer t−tmin. The results suggest the amplitude for transversely polarized virtual photons continues to dominate the cross section throughout this kinematic range. The data are well described by calculations based on transversity generalized parton distributions coupled to a helicity flip distribution amplitude of the pion, thus providing a unique way to probe the structure of the nucleon.
We present studies of single-spin asymmetries for neutral pion electroproduction in semi-inclusive deep-inelastic scattering of 5.776 GeV polarized electrons from an unpolarized hydrogen target, ...using the CEBAF Large Acceptance Spectrometer (CLAS) at the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility. A substantial sinϕh amplitude has been measured in the distribution of the cross section asymmetry as a function of the azimuthal angle ϕh of the produced neutral pion. The dependence of this amplitude on Bjorken x and on the pion transverse momentum is extracted with significantly higher precision than previous data and is compared to model calculations.
Beam-target double spin asymmetries and target single-spin asymmetries in exclusive $\pi^+$ and $\pi^-$ electroproduction were obtained from scattering of 1.6 to 5.7 GeV longitudinally polarized ...electrons from longitudinally polarized protons (for $\pi^+$) and deuterons (for $\pi^-$) using the CEBAF Large Acceptance Spectrometer (CLAS) at Jefferson Lab. The kinematic range covered is $1.1<W<2.6$ GeV and $0.05<Q^2<5$ GeV$^2$, with good anglular coverage in the forward hemisphere. The asymmetry results were divided into approximately 40,000 kinematic bins for $\pi^+$ from free protons and 15,000 bins for $\pi^-$ production from bound nucleons in the deuteron. The present results are found to be in reasonable agreement with fits to previous world data for $W<1.7$ GeV and $Q^2<0.5$ GeV$^2$, with discrepancies increasing at higher values of $Q^2$, especially for $W>1.5$ GeV. Very large target-spin asymmetries are observed for $W>1.6$ GeV. When combined with cross section measurements, the present results will provide powerful constraints on nucleon resonance amplitudes at moderate and large values of $Q^2$, for resonances with masses as high as 2.3 GeV.
Background The electromagnetic form factors of the proton measured by unpolarized and polarized electron scattering experiments show a significant disagreement that grows with the squared four ...momentum transfer ($Q^{2}$). Calculations have shown that the two measurements can be largely reconciled by accounting for the contributions of two-photon exchange (TPE). TPE effects are not typically included in the standard set of radiative corrections since theoretical calculations of the TPE effects are highly model dependent, and, until recently, no direct evidence of significant TPE effects has been observed. Purpose We measured the ratio of positron-proton to electron-proton elastic-scattering cross sections in order to determine the TPE contribution to elastic electron-proton scattering and thereby resolve the proton electric form factor discrepancy. Methods We produced a mixed simultaneous electron-positron beam in Jefferson Lab's Hall B by passing the 5.6 GeV primary electron beam through a radiator to produce a bremsstrahlung photon beam and then passing the photon beam through a convertor to produce electron/positron pairs. The mixed electron-positron (lepton) beam with useful energies from approximately 0.85 to 3.5 GeV then struck a 30-cm long liquid hydrogen (LH$_2$) target located within the CEBAF Large Acceptance Spectrometer (CLAS). By detecting both the scattered leptons and the recoiling protons we identified and reconstructed elastic scattering events and determined the incident lepton energy. A detailed description of the experiment is presented.
Results are presented for the first measurement of the double-polarization helicity asymmetry E for the η photoproduction reaction γ p → η p. Data were obtained using the FROzen Spin Target (FROST) ...with the CLAS spectrometer in Hall B at Jefferson Lab, covering a range of center-of-mass energy W from threshold to 2.15 GeV and a large range in center-of-mass polar angle. As an initial application of these data, the results have been incorporated into the J\"ulich model to examine the case for the existence of a narrow Ν* resonance between 1.66 and 1.70 GeV. The addition of these data to the world database results in marked changes in the predictions for the E observable using that model. As a result, further comparison with several theoretical approaches indicates these data will significantly enhance our understanding of nucleon resonances.
First results from the longitudinally polarized frozen-spin target (FROST) program are reported. The double-polarization observable E, for the reaction $\vec \gamma \vec p \to \pi^+n$, has been ...measured using a circularly polarized tagged-photon beam, with energies from 0.35 to 2.37 GeV. The final-state pions were detected with the CEBAF Large Acceptance Spectrometer in Hall B at the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility. These polarization data agree fairly well with previous partial-wave analyses at low photon energies. Over much of the covered energy range, however, significant deviations are observed, particularly in the high-energy region where high-L multipoles contribute. The data have been included in new multipole analyses resulting in updated nucleon resonance parameters. We report updated fits from the Bonn-Gatchina, J\"ulich, and SAID groups.