The photoproduction of omega mesons on nuclei has been investigated using the Crystal Barrel/TAPS experiment at the ELSA tagged photon facility in Bonn. The aim is to study possible in-medium ...modifications of the omega meson via the reaction gamma + A --> omega + X --> pi(0)gamma + X('). Results obtained for Nb are compared to a reference measurement on a LH2 target. While for recoiling, long-lived mesons (pi(0), eta, and eta;(')), which decay outside of the nucleus, a difference in the line shape for the two data samples is not observed, we find a significant enhancement towards lower masses for omega mesons produced on the Nb target. For momenta less than 500 MeV/c an in-medium omega meson mass of M(medium) = 722(+4)(-4)(stat)+35-5(syst) MeV/c(2) has been deduced at an estimated average nuclear density of 0.6rho(0).
Photoproduction of two neutral pions off the proton is studied using linearly polarized photons, and the polarization observables Is and Ic are measured for the first time. These two observables are ...unique to multi-meson final states; they characterize correlations between the linear photon polarization and the direction of outgoing single particles in photoproduction of three-body final states. The Is and Ic distributions suggest that, in the 1.8 to 2.0 GeV mass region, the N(1520)3/2−π intermediate state is reached with reaction dynamics consistent with a dominant JP=3/2+ wave. These data are included in the Bonn–Gatchina (BnGa) partial wave analysis which is based on a large variety of data; the analysis confirms a significant contribution from the reaction chain γp→N(1900)3/2+→N(1520)3/2−π0→pπ0π0.
The photoproduction of η′-mesons off different nuclei has been measured with the CBELSA/TAPS detector system for incident photon energies between 1500–2200 MeV. The transparency ratio has been ...deduced and compared to theoretical calculations describing the propagation of η′-mesons in nuclei. The comparison indicates a width of the η′-meson of the order of Γ=15–25 MeV at ρ=ρ0 for an average momentum pη′=1050 MeV/c, at which the η′-meson is produced in the nuclear rest frame. The inelastic η′N cross section is estimated to be 3–10 mb. Parameterizing the photoproduction cross section of η′-mesons by σ(A)=σ0Aα, a value of α=0.84±0.03 has been deduced.
The excitation function and momentum distribution of η′ mesons have been measured in photon induced reactions on 12C in the energy range of 1250–2600 MeV. The experiment was performed with tagged ...photon beams from the ELSA electron accelerator using the Crystal Barrel and TAPS detectors. The data are compared to model calculations to extract information on the sign and magnitude of the real part of the η′-nucleus potential. Within the model, the comparison indicates an attractive potential of −(37±10(stat)±10(syst)) MeV depth at normal nuclear matter density. Since the modulus of this depth is larger than the modulus of the imaginary part of the η′-nucleus potential of −(10±2.5) MeV, determined by transparency ratio measurements, a search for resolved η′-bound states appears promising.
The polarization observables T,E,P,H, and G in photoproduction of η mesons off protons are measured for photon energies from threshold to W=2400 MeV (T), 2280 MeV (E), 1620 MeV (P,H), or 1820 MeV ...(G), covering nearly the full solid angle. The data are compared to predictions from the SAID, MAID, JüBo, and BnGa partial-wave analyses. A refit within the BnGa approach including further data yields precise branching ratios for the Nη decay of nucleon resonances. A Nη-branching ratio of 0.33±0.04 for N(1650)1/2− is found, which reduces the large and controversially discussed Nη-branching ratio difference of the two lowest mass JP=1/2−-resonances significantly.
Quasifree photoproduction of eta mesons off nucleons bound in the deuteron has been measured with the CBELSA/TAPS detector for incident photon energies up to 2.5 GeV at the Bonn ELSA accelerator. The ...eta mesons have been detected in coincidence with recoil protons and recoil neutrons, which allows a detailed comparison of the quasifree n(gamma,eta)n and p(gamma,eta)p reactions. The excitation function for eta production off the neutron shows a pronounced bumplike structure at W=1.68 GeV (E{gamma} approximately 1 GeV), which is absent for the proton.
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Precise data for quasi-free photoproduction of
η
-mesons off the deuteron have been measured at the Bonn ELSA accelerator with the combined Crystal Barrel/TAPS detector for incident photon energies ...up to 2.5GeV. The
η
-mesons have been detected in coincidence with recoil protons and neutrons. Possible nuclear effects like Fermi motion and re-scattering can be studied via a comparison of the quasi-free reaction off the bound proton to
η
-production off the free proton. No significant effects beyond the folding of the free cross-section with the momentum distribution of the bound protons have been found. These Fermi motion effects can be removed by an analysis using the invariant mass of the
η
-nucleon pairs reconstructed from the final-state four-momenta of the particles. The total cross-section for quasi-free
η
-photoproduction off the neutron reveals even without correction for Fermi motion a pronounced bump-like structure around 1GeV of incident photon energy, which is not observed for the proton. This structure is even narrower in the invariant-mass spectrum of the
η
-neutron pairs. Position and width of the peak in the invariant-mass spectrum are
W
≈ 1665 MeV and FWHM
Γ
≈ 25 MeV. The data are compared to the results of different models.
Information on hadron properties in the nuclear medium has been derived from the photoproduction of omega mesons on the nuclei C, Ca, Nb, and Pb using the Crystal Barrel/TAPS detector at the ELSA ...tagged photon facility in Bonn. The dependence of the omega-meson cross section on the nuclear mass number has been compared with three different types of models: a Glauber analysis, a Boltzmann-Uehling-Uhlenbeck analysis of the Giessen theory group, and a calculation by the Valencia theory group. In all three cases, the inelastic omega width is found to be 130-150 MeV/c(2) at normal nuclear matter density for an average 3-momentum of 1.1 GeV/c. In the rest frame of the omega meson, this inelastic omega width corresponds to a reduction of the omega lifetime by a factor approximately 30. For the first time, the momentum dependent omegaN cross section has been extracted from the experiment and is in the range of 70 mb.