The reactions γp→ηp and γp→η^{'}p are measured from their thresholds up to the center-of-mass energy W=1.96 GeV with the tagged-photon facilities at the Mainz Microtron, MAMI. Differential cross ...sections are obtained with unprecedented statistical accuracy, providing fine energy binning and full production-angle coverage. A strong cusp is observed in the total cross section for η photoproduction at the energies in the vicinity of the η^{'} threshold, W=1896 MeV (E_{γ}=1447 MeV). Within the framework of a revised ηMAID isobar model, the cusp, in connection with a steep rise of the η^{'} total cross section from its threshold, can only be explained by a strong coupling of the poorly known N(1895)1/2^{-} state to both ηp and η^{'}p. Including the new high-accuracy results in the ηMAID fit to available η and η^{'} photoproduction data allows the determination of the N(1895)1/2^{-} properties.
A precise measurement of the differential cross sections dσ/dΩ and the linearly polarized photon beam asymmetry Σ_{3} for Compton scattering on the proton below pion threshold has been performed with ...a tagged photon beam and almost 4π detector at the Mainz Microtron. The incident photons were produced by the recently upgraded Glasgow-Mainz photon tagging facility and impinged on a cryogenic liquid hydrogen target, with the scattered photons detected in the Crystal Ball/TAPS setup. Using the highest statistics Compton scattering data ever measured on the proton along with two effective field theories (both covariant baryon and heavy-baryon) and one fixed-t dispersion relation model, constraining the fits with the Baldin sum rule, we have obtained the proton electric and magnetic polarizabilities with unprecedented precision: α_{E1}=10.99±0.16±0.47±0.17±0.34, β_{M1}=3.14±0.21±0.24±0.20±0.35; in units of 10^{-4} fm^{3} where the errors are statistical, systematic, spin polarizability dependent, and model dependent.
We report a measurement of the spin polarization of the recoiling neutron in deuterium photodisintegration, utilizing a new large acceptance polarimeter within the Crystal Ball at MAMI. The measured ...photon energy range of 300-700 MeV provides the first measurement of recoil neutron polarization at photon energies where the quark substructure of the deuteron plays a role, thereby providing important new constraints on photodisintegration mechanisms. A very high neutron polarization in a narrow structure centered around E_{γ}∼570 MeV is observed, which is inconsistent with current theoretical predictions employing nucleon resonance degrees of freedom. A Legendre polynomial decomposition suggests this behavior could be related to the excitation of the d^{*}(2380) hexaquark.
The double polarization observable E and the helicity dependent cross sections σ_{1/2} and σ_{3/2} were measured for η photoproduction from quasifree protons and neutrons. The circularly polarized ...tagged photon beam of the A2 experiment at the Mainz MAMI accelerator was used in combination with a longitudinally polarized deuterated butanol target. The almost 4π detector setup of the Crystal Ball and TAPS is ideally suited to detect the recoil nucleons and the decay photons from η→2γ and η→3π^{0}. The results show that the narrow structure previously observed in η photoproduction from the neutron is only apparent in σ_{1/2} and hence, most likely related to a spin-1/2 amplitude. Nucleon resonances that contribute to this partial wave in η production are only N 1/2^{-} (S_{11}) and N 1/2^{+} (P_{11}). Furthermore, the extracted Legendre coefficients of the angular distributions for σ_{1/2} are in good agreement with recent reaction model predictions assuming a narrow resonance in the P_{11} wave as the origin of this structure.
Photoproduction of π0π±-pairs from quasifree nucleons bound in the deuteron has been investigated to study the helicity dependence of this reaction. Measurements with a liquid deuterium target were ...used to extract the unpolarized cross sections for reactions on protons and neutrons. A deuterated, longitudinally polarized solid-butanol target, together with a circularly polarized photon beam, determined the double polarization observable E. From these results the spin-dependent cross sections σ1/2 and σ3/2, corresponding to the anti-parallel and parallel spin configurations of the beam photon and target nucleon, have been derived. The measurements were performed at the Mainz MAMI accelerator with tagged, circularly-polarized photon beams produced via bremsstrahlung from longitudinally polarized electron beams. The reaction products were detected with an almost 4π solid-angle covering calorimeter composed of the Crystal Ball and TAPS detectors, supplemented by plastic scintillation detectors for charged particle identification. The results are sensitive to sequential decays of nucleon resonances via intermediate states and also to the decay of nucleon resonances by emission of charged ρ mesons, and are compared to recent model results.
We report a first measurement of the double-polarisation observable, Cx′, in π+ photoproduction off the proton. The Cx′ double-polarisation observable represents the transfer of polarisation from a ...circularly polarised photon beam to the recoiling neutron. The MAMI circularly polarised photon beam impinged on a liquid deuterium target cell, with reaction products detected in the Crystal Ball calorimeter. Ancillary apparatus surrounding the target provided tracking, particle identification and determination of recoil nucleon polarisation. The Cx′ observable is determined for photon energies 800-1400 MeV, providing new constraints on models aiming to elucidate the spectrum and properties of nucleon resonances. This is the first determination of any polarisation observable from the beam-recoil group of observables for this reaction. Inclusion of the new data in the database of the SAID partial wave analysis shifted the solution to a new global minima which, not only gives better agreement with the current data, but also improves the description of a range of other single and double polarisation observables for charged pion photoproduction.
A first measurement of the polarisation transfer from a circularly-polarised photon to the final state neutron (Cx′n) in deuterium photodisintegration has been carried out. This quantity is ...determined over the photon energy range 370 – 700 MeV and for neutron centre-of-mass breakup angles ∼45−120∘. The polarisation of the final state neutrons was determined by an ancillary large-acceptance nucleon polarimeter, surrounding a cryogenic liquid deuterium target within the Crystal Ball detector at MAMI. The polarimeter characterised (n,p) charge exchange of the ejected neutrons to determine their polarisation. The new Cx′n data are also compared to a theoretical model based on nucleonic and nucleon resonance degrees of freedom constrained by the current world-database of deuterium photodisintegration measurements. Structures in Cx′n observed in the region of the d⁎(2380) could not be explained by conventional models of deuteron photodisintegration.
We present new data for the transverse target asymmetry T and the very first data for the beam-target asymmetry F in the γover →pover →→ηp reaction up to a center-of-mass energy of W=1.9 GeV. The ...data were obtained with the Crystal-Ball/TAPS detector setup at the Glasgow tagged photon facility of the Mainz Microtron MAMI. All existing model predictions fail to reproduce the new data indicating a significant impact on our understanding of the underlying dynamics of η meson photoproduction. The peculiar nodal structure observed in existing T data close to threshold is not confirmed.
The quasifree
γ
→
d
→
π
0
n
(
p
)
photon beam asymmetry,
Σ
, has been measured at photon energies,
E
γ
, from 390 to 610 MeV, corresponding to center of mass energy from 1.271 to 1.424 GeV, for the ...first time. The data were collected in the A2 hall of the MAMI electron beam facility with the Crystal Ball and TAPS calorimeters covering pion center-of-mass angles from 49
∘
to 148
∘
. In this kinematic region, polarization observables are sensitive to contributions from the
Δ
(
1232
)
and
N
(1440) resonances. The extracted values of
Σ
have been compared to predictions based on partial-wave analyses (PWAs) of the existing pion photoproduction database. Our comparison includes the SAID, MAID and Bonn–Gatchina analyses; while a revised SAID fit, including the new
Σ
measurements, has also been performed. In addition, isospin symmetry is examined as a way to predict
π
0
n
photoproduction observables, based on fits to published data in the channels
π
0
p
,
π
+
n
and
π
-
p
.
The quasifree
photon beam asymmetry,
, has been measured at photon energies,
, from 390 to 610 MeV, corresponding to center of mass energy from 1.271 to 1.424 GeV, for the first time. The data were ...collected in the A2 hall of the MAMI electron beam facility with the Crystal Ball and TAPS calorimeters covering pion center-of-mass angles from 49
to 148
. In this kinematic region, polarization observables are sensitive to contributions from the
and
(1440) resonances. The extracted values of
have been compared to predictions based on partial-wave analyses (PWAs) of the existing pion photoproduction database. Our comparison includes the SAID, MAID and Bonn-Gatchina analyses; while a revised SAID fit, including the new
measurements, has also been performed. In addition, isospin symmetry is examined as a way to predict
photoproduction observables, based on fits to published data in the channels
,
and
.