Search Results (39 total)

Kaon electroproduction from light nuclei and hydrogen, using ¹H, ²H, ³He, ⁴He, and carbon targets has been measured at the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility. The quasifree angular distributions of Λ and Σ hyperons were determined at Q²=0.35 (GeV/c)² and W=1.91 GeV. Electroproduction on hydrogen was measured at the same kinematics for reference.

The data analysis for the reaction ¹H(e,e^'π⁺)n, which was used to determine values for the charged pion form factor F_π for values of Q²= 0.6–1.6 GeV², has been repeated with careful inspection of all steps and special attention to systematic uncertainties. Also the method used to extract F_π from the measured longitudinal cross section was critically reconsidered. Final values for the separated longitudinal and transverse cross sections and the extracted values of F_π are presented.

We studied the reaction ¹²C(e,e^'p) in quasielastic kinematics at momentum transfers between 0.6 and 1.8 (GeV/c)² covering the single-particle region. From this the nuclear transparency factors are extracted using two methods. The results are compared to theoretical predictions obtained using a generalization of Glauber theory described in this paper. Furthermore, the momentum distribution in the region of the 1s-state up to momenta of 300 MeV/c is obtained from the data and compared to the correlated basis function theory and the independent-particle shell model.

The three-body photodisintegration of ³He has been measured with the CLAS detector at Jefferson Lab, using tagged photons of energies between 0.35 GeV and 1.55  GeV. The large acceptance of the spectrometer allowed us for the first time to cover a wide momentum and angular range for the two outgoing protons. Three kinematic regions dominated by either two- or three-body contributions have been distinguished and analyzed. The measured cross sections have been compared with results of a theoretical model, which, in certain kinematic ranges, have been found to be in reasonable agreement with the data.

The _Λ^3,4H and _Λ⁴H hypernuclear bound states have been observed for the first time in kaon electroproduction on ^3,4He targets. The production cross sections have been determined at Q²=0.35   GeV² and W=1.91   GeV. For either hypernucleus the nuclear form factor is determined by comparing the angular distribution of the ^3,4He(e,e^′K⁺)_Λ^3,4H processes to the elementary cross section ¹H(e,éK⁺)Λ on the free proton, measured during the same experiment.

We have carried out an (e,e^′p) experiment at high momentum transfer and in parallel kinematics to measure the strength of the nuclear spectral function S(k,E) at high nucleon momenta k and large removal energies E. This strength is related to the presence of short-range and tensor correlations, and was known hitherto only indirectly and with considerable uncertainty from the lack of strength in the independent-particle region. This experiment locates by direct measurement the correlated strength predicted by theory.

Electroproduction of the ω meson was investigated in the ¹H(e,e^′p)ω reaction. The measurement was performed at a four-momentum transfer Q²≈0.5  GeV². Angular distributions of the virtual photon-proton center-of-momentum cross sections have been extracted over the full angular range. These distributions exhibit a strong enhancement over t-channel parity exchange processes in the backward direction. According to a newly developed electroproduction model, this enhancement provides significant evidence of resonance formation in the γ*p→ωp reaction channel.

We report on precision measurements of the elastic cross section for electron-proton scattering performed in Hall C at Jefferson Lab. The measurements were made at 28 distinct kinematic settings covering a range in momentum transfer of 0.4<Q²<5.5  (GeV∕c)². These measurements represent a significant contribution to the world’s cross section data set in the Q² range, where a large discrepancy currently exists between the ratio of electric to magnetic proton form factors extracted from previous cross section measurements and that recently measured via polarization transfer in Hall A at Jefferson Lab. This data set shows good agreement with previous cross section measurements, indicating that if a heretofore unknown systematic error does exist in the cross section measurements, then it is intrinsic to all such measurements.

We report the results from a systematic study of the quasielastic (e,e^′p) reaction on ¹²C,  ⁵⁶Fe, and ¹⁹⁷Au performed at Jefferson Lab. We have measured nuclear transparency and extracted spectral functions (corrected for radiation) over a Q² range of 0.64–3.25  (GeV∕c)² for all three nuclei. In addition, we have extracted separated longitudinal and transverse spectral functions at Q² of 0.64 and 1.8  (GeV∕c)² for these three nuclei (except for ¹⁹⁷Au at the higher Q²). The spectral functions are compared to a number of theoretical calculations. The measured spectral functions differ in detail but not in overall shape from most of the theoretical models. In all three targets the measured spectral functions show considerable excess transverse strength at Q²=0.64  (GeV∕c)², which is much reduced at 1.8  (GeV∕c)².

We report measurements of cross sections for the reaction ¹H(e,e^′K⁺)Y, for both the Λ and Σ⁰ hyperon states, at an invariant mass of W=1.84 GeV and four-momentum transfers 0.5<Q²<2 (GeV/c)². Data were taken for three values of virtual photon polarization ε, allowing the decomposition of the cross sections into longitudinal and transverse components. The Λ data are a revised analysis of prior work, whereas the Σ⁰ results have not been previously reported.

Contributions to the line shape of high-resolution Al Kα x-ray excited carbon 1s photoemission of highly oriented pyrolytic graphite are described and compared with previous work. A two-component system is used to model experimental results obtained from two photoelectron takeoff angles. The splitting between the two components is 0.47±0.02 eV, with a variation in the intensity ratio consistent with that expected for the two takeoff angles. The photoemission lines are found to have a lifetime broadening Γ_L of 0.128±0.006 eV full width at half maximum (FWHM), an asymmetry α of 0.125±0.002, and additional broadening over that of the instrumental resolution of 0.28±0.04 eV FWHM.

The quasielastic (e,e^′p) reaction was studied on targets of deuterium, carbon, and iron up to a value of momentum transfer Q² of 8.1 (GeV/c)². A nuclear transparency was determined by comparing the data to calculations in the plane-wave impulse approximation. The dependence of the nuclear transparency on Q² and the mass number A was investigated in a search for the onset of the color transparency phenomenon. We find no evidence for the onset of color transparency within our range of Q². A fit to the world’s nuclear transparency data reflects the energy dependence of the free-proton–nucleon cross section.

The first measurements of the d(γ,p)n differential cross section at forward angles and photon energies above 4 GeV were performed at the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility (JLab). The results indicate evidence of an angular dependent scaling threshold. Results at θ_cm  =  37° are consistent with the constituent counting rules for E_γ≳4 GeV, while those at 70° are consistent with the constituent counting rules for E_γ≳1.5 GeV.

We report the first measurement using a solid polarized target of the neutron electric form factor G_Eⁿ via d→(e→,e^′n)p. G_Eⁿ was determined from the beam-target asymmetry in the scattering of longitudinally polarized electrons from polarized deuterated ammonia ( ¹⁵ND₃). The measurement was performed in Hall C at Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility in quasifree kinematics with the target polarization perpendicular to the momentum transfer. The electrons were detected in a magnetic spectrometer in coincidence with neutrons in a large solid angle segmented detector. We find G_Eⁿ  =  0.04632±0.00616(stat)±0.00341(syst) at Q²  =  0.495 (GeV/c)².

Inclusive electron scattering data are presented for ²H, C, Fe, and Au targets at an incident electron energy of 4.045 GeV for a range of momentum transfers from Q²=1 to 7 (GeV/c)². Data were taken at Jefferson Laboratory for low values of energy loss, corresponding to values of Bjorken x≳1. The structure functions do not show scaling in x in this range, where inelastic scattering is not expected to dominate the cross section. The data do show scaling, however, in the Nachtmann variable ξ. This scaling appears to be the result of Bloom- Gilman duality in the nucleon structure function combined with the Fermi motion of the nucleons in the nucleus. The resulting extension of scaling to larger values of ξ opens up the possibility of accessing nuclear structure functions in the high-x region at lower values of Q² than previously believed.

We investigate the Q² dependence of inclusive electron-proton scattering F₂ structure function data in both the nucleon resonance region and the deep inelastic region, at momentum transfers below 5 (GeV/c)². From these data we construct moments of F₂, down to momentum transfers of Q²≈0.1 (GeV/c)². The second moment is only slowly varying with Q² down to Q²≈1 (GeV/c)², which is a reflection of duality. Below Q² of 1 (GeV/c)², the Q² dependence of the moments is predominantly governed by the elastic contribution, whereas the inelastic channels still seem governed by local duality.

Separated longitudinal and transverse structure functions for the reaction ¹H(e,e^′π⁺)n were measured in the momentum transfer region Q²  =  0.6–1.6 (GeV/c)² at a value of the invariant mass W  =  1.95 GeV. New values for the pion charge form factor were extracted from the longitudinal cross section by using a recently developed Regge model. The results indicate that the pion form factor in this region is larger than previously assumed and is consistent with a monopole parametrization fitted to very low Q² elastic data.

A newly obtained sample of inclusive electron-nucleon scattering data has been analyzed for precision tests of quark-hadron duality. The data are in the nucleon resonance region, and span the range 0.3<Q²<5.0 (GeV/c)². Duality is observed both in limited and extended regions around the prominent resonance enhancements. Higher twist contributions to the F₂ structure function are found to be small on average, even in the low Q² regime of ≈0.5 (GeV/c)². Using duality, an average scaling curve is obtained. In all cases, duality appears to be a nontrivial property of the nucleon structure function.

A newly obtained data sample of inclusive electron-nucleon scattering from both hydrogen and deuterium targets is analyzed. These JLab data span the nucleon resonance region up to four-momentum transfers of 5 (GeV/c)². The data are found to follow an average scaling curve. The inclusion of low-momentum transfer data yields a scaling curve resembling deep inelastic neutrino-nucleus scattering data, suggesting a sensitivity to valencelike structure only.

A separation of the longitudinal and transverse ¹²C(e,e^′p) cross sections in the quasifree region has been performed in parallel kinematics at Q² of 0.64 and 1.8 GeV² for initial proton momentum <80 MeV. The separated transverse and longitudinal spectral functions at Q²=0.64 GeV² show significant differences for missing energy between 25 and 60 MeV indicating a breakdown in the single nucleon knockout picture. The transverse spectral functions exhibit definite momentum transfer dependence.

The differential cross section for ²H(γ,d)π⁰ has been measured at deuteron center-of-mass angles of 90° and 136°. This work reports the first data for this reaction above a photon energy of 1 GeV, and permits a test of the apparent constituent counting rule and reduced nuclear amplitude behavior as observed in elastic ed scattering. Measurements were performed up to a photon energy of 4.0 GeV, and are in good agreement with previous lower energy measurements. Overall, the data are inconsistent with both constituent-counting rule and reduced nuclear amplitude predictions.

The differential cross section for the process p(e,e^′p)η has been measured at Q²=2.4 and 3.6 (GeV/c)² at center-of-mass energies encompassing the S₁₁(1535) resonance. The latter point is the highest-Q² exclusive measurement of this process to date. The resonance width and the helicity-1/2 transition amplitude are extracted from the data, and evidence for the possible onset of scaling in this reaction is shown. A lower bound of ≈0.45 is placed on the S₁₁(1535)→pη branching fraction.

Inclusive electron scattering is measured with 4.045 GeV incident beam energy from C, Fe, and Au targets. The measured energy transfers and angles correspond to a kinematic range for Bjorken x>1 and momentum transfers from Q²  =  1–7 (GeV/c)². When analyzed in terms of the y-scaling function the data show for the first time an approach to scaling for values of the initial nucleon momenta significantly greater than the nuclear matter Fermi momentum (i.e., >0.3 GeV/c).