Separated cross sections in \pi^0 electroproduction at threshold at Q^2 = 0.05 GeV^2/c^2

The differential cross sections \sigma_0=\sigma_T+\epsilon \sigma_L, \sigma_{LT}, and \sigma_{TT} of \pi^0 electroproduction from the proton were measured from threshold up to an additional center of mass energy of 40 MeV, at a value of the photon four-momentum transfer of Q^2= 0.05 GeV^2/c^2 and a center of mass angle of \theta=90^\circ. By an additional out-of-plane measurement with polarized electrons \sigma_{LT'} was determined. This showed for the first time the cusp effect above the \pi^+ threshold in the imaginary part of the s-wave. The predictions of Heavy Baryon Chiral Perturbation Theory are in disagreement with these data. On the other hand, the data are somewhat better predicted by the MAID phenomenological model and are in good agreement with the dynamical model DMT.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figure

Lowest Q^2 Measurement of the gamma*p -> Delta Reaction: Probing the Pionic Contribution

To determine nonspherical angular momentum amplitudes in hadrons at long ranges (low Q^2), data were taken for the p(\vec{e},e'p)\pi^0 reaction in the Delta region at Q^2=0.060 (GeV/c)^2 utilizing the magnetic spectrometers of the A1 Collaboration at MAMI. The results for the dominant transition magnetic dipole amplitude and the quadrupole to dipole ratios at W=1232 MeV are: M_{1+}^{3/2} = (40.33 +/- 0.63_{stat+syst} +/- 0.61_{model}) (10^{-3}/m_{\pi^+}),Re(E_{1+}^{3/2}/M_{1+}^{3/2}) = (-2.28 +/- 0.29_{stat+syst} +/- 0.20_{model})%, and Re(S_{1+}^{3/2}/M_{1+}^{3/2}) = (-4.81 +/- 0.27_{stat+syst} +/- 0.26_{model})%. These disagree with predictions of constituent quark models but are in reasonable agreement with lattice calculations with non-linear (chiral) pion mass extrapolations, with chiral effective field theory, and with dynamical models with pion cloud effects. These results confirm the dominance, and general Q^2 variation, of the pionic contribution at large distances.Comment: 6 pages, 3 figures, 1 tabl

Measurement of the LT-asymmetry in \pi^0 electroproduction at the energy of the \Delta (1232) resonance

The reaction p(e,e'p)pi^0 has been studied at Q^2=0.2 (GeV/c)^2 in the region of W=1232 MeV. From measurements left and right of q, cross section asymmetries \rho_LT have been obtained in forward kinematics \rho_LT(\theta_\pi^0=20deg) = (-11.68 +/- 2.36_stat +/- 2.36_sys)$ and backward kinematics \rho_LT(\theta_\pi^0=160deg) =(12.18 +/- 0.27_stat +/- 0.82_sys). Multipole ratios \Re(S_1+^* M_1+)/|M_1+|^2 and \Re(S_0+^* M_1+)/|M_1+|^2 were determined in the framework of the MAID2003 model. The results are in agreement with older data. The unusally strong negative \Re(S_0+^* M_1+)/|M_1+|^2 required to bring also the result of Kalleicher et al. in accordance with the rest of the data is almost excluded.Comment: 7 pages, 7 figures, 4 tables. Changed content. Accepted for publication in EPJ

Self energies of the pion and the delta isobar from the ^3He(e,e'pi^+)^3H reaction

In a kinematically complete experiment at the Mainz microtron MAMI, pion angular distributions of the $^3$He(e,e'$\pi^+)^3$H reaction have been measured in the excitation region of the $\Delta$ resonance to determine the longitudinal ($L$), transverse ($T$), and the $LT$ interference part of the differential cross section. The data are described only after introducing self-energy modifications of the pion and $\Delta$-isobar propagators. Using Chiral Perturbation Theory (ChPT) to extrapolate the pion self energy as inferred from the measurement on the mass shell, we deduce a reduction of the $\pi^+$ mass of $\Delta m_{\pi^+} = (-1.7^{+ 1.7}_{- 2.1})$ MeV/c$^2$ in the neutron-rich nuclear medium at a density of $\rho = (0.057^{+ 0.085}_{- 0.057})$ fm$^{-3}$. Our data are consistent with the $\Delta$ self energy determined from measurements of $\pi^0$ photoproduction from $^4$He and heavier nuclei.Comment: Elsart, 12 pages and 4 figures, Correspondent: Professor Dr. Dr. h.c. mult. Achim Richter, [email protected], submitted to Phys. Rev. Let

Measurements of the \gamma * p --> \Delta(1232) reaction at low Q2

We report new p$(\vec{e},e^\prime p)\pi^\circ$ measurements in the $\Delta^{+}(1232)$ resonance at the low momentum transfer region utilizing the magnetic spectrometers of the A1 Collaboration at MAMI. The mesonic cloud dynamics are predicted to be dominant and appreciably changing in this region while the momentum transfer is sufficiently low to be able to test chiral effective calculations. The results disagree with predictions of constituent quark models and are in reasonable agreement with dynamical calculations with pion cloud effects, chiral effective field theory and lattice calculations. The reported measurements suggest that improvement is required to the theoretical calculations and provide valuable input that will allow their refinements

Polarization transfer in the 4^{4}He(e⃗,e′p⃗3(\vec{e},e' \vec{p}^{3}H reaction

Polarization transfer in the 4He(e,e'p)3H reaction at a Q^2 of 0.4 (GeV/c)^2 was measured at the Mainz Microtron MAMI. The ratio of the transverse to the longitudinal polarization components of the ejected protons was compared with the same ratio for elastic ep scattering. The results are consistent with a recent fully relativistic calculation which includes a predicted medium modification of the proton form factor based on a quark-meson coupling model.Comment: 5 pages, Latex, 2 postscript figures, submitted to Physics Letters

A new measurement of the structure functions PLL−PTT/epsilonP_{LL}-P_{TT}/epsilon and PLTP_{LT} in virtual Compton scattering at Q2=Q^2= 0.33 (GeV/c)2^2

The cross section of the $ep \to e' p' \gamma$ reaction has been measured at $Q^2 = 0.33$ (GeV/c)$^2$. The experiment was performed using the electron beam of the MAMI accelerator and the standard detector setup of the A1 Collaboration. The cross section is analyzed using the low-energy theorem for virtual Compton scattering, yielding a new determination of the two structure functions P_LL}-P_{TT}/epsilon and $P_{LT}$ which are linear combinations of the generalized polarizabilities of the proton. We find somewhat larger values than in the previous investigation at the same $Q^2$. This difference, however, is purely due to our more refined analysis of the data. The results tend to confirm the non-trivial $Q^2$-evolution of the generalized polarizabilities and call for more measurements in the low-$Q^2$ region ($\le$ 1 (GeV/c)$^2$).Comment: 9 pages, 10 figures. EPJA version. slight revisions in the text and figure

First measurements of the ^16O(e,e'pn)^14N reaction

This paper reports on the first measurement of the ^16O(e,e'pn)^14N reaction. Data were measured in kinematics centred on a super-parallel geometry at energy and momentum transfers of 215 MeV and 316 MeV/c. The experimental resolution was sufficient to distinguish groups of states in the residual nucleus but not good enough to separate individual states. The data show a strong dependence on missing momentum and this dependence appears to be different for two groups of states in the residual nucleus. Theoretical calculations of the reaction using the Pavia code do not reproduce the shape or the magnitude of the data.Comment: 10 pages, 11 figures, 2 tables, Accepted for publication in EPJ

Measurement of the recoil polarization in the p (\vec e, e' \vec p) pi^0 reaction at the \Delta(1232) resonance

The recoil proton polarization has been measured in the p (\vec e,e'\vec p) pi^0 reaction in parallel kinematics around W = 1232 MeV, Q^2 = 0.121 (GeV/c)^2 and epsilon = 0.718 using the polarized c.w. electron beam of the Mainz Microtron. Due to the spin precession in a magnetic spectrometer, all three proton polarization components P_x/P_e = (-11.4 \pm 1.3 \pm 1.4) %, P_y = (-43.1 \pm 1.3 \pm 2.2) %, and P_z/P_e = (56.2 \pm 1.5 \pm 2.6) % could be measured simultaneously. The Coulomb quadrupole to magnetic dipole ratio CMR = (-6.4\pm 0.7_{stat}\pm 0.8_{syst}) % was determined from P_x in the framework of the Mainz Unitary Isobar Model. The consistency among the reduced polarizations and the extraction of the ratio of longitudinal to transverse response is discussed.Comment: 5 pages LaTeX, 1 table, 2 eps figure

Search for narrow nucleon resonances below pion threshold in the H(e,e′π+)X and 2H(e,e′p)X reactions

In two series of high-resolution coincidence experiments at the three-spectrometer facility at MAMI, the H(e, epi+)X and 2H(e, ep)X reactions were studied to search for narrow nucleon resonances below pion threshold. The missing-mass resolution was 0.6-1.6 MeV/c2 full width at half maximum in the proton experiment and 0.9-1.3 MeV/c2 in the deuteron experiment. The experiments covered the missing-mass region from the neutron mass up to about 1050 and 1100 MeV/c2, respectively. None of our measurements showed a signal for narrow resonances to a level of down to 10-4 with respect to the neutron peak in the missing-mass spectra