Observation of a tensor glueball in the reactions p\bar p \to \pi \pi ,\eta \eta ,\eta \eta '

Partial wave analysis of the reactions $p\bar p \to \pi \pi ,\eta \eta ,\eta \eta '$ in the region of invariant masses 1900–2400 MeV indicates the existence of four relatively narrow tensor-isoscalar resonances ? ₂(1920), ? ₂(2020), ? ₂(2240), ? ₂(2300), as well as the broad state ? ₂(2000). The determined decay couplings of the broad resonance ? ₂(2000) → π⁰π⁰, ηη, ηη′ satisfy the relations appropriate to those of a tensor glueball, while the couplings of other tensor states do not, thus verifying the glueball nature of ? ₂(2000).     

Vacuum charge and the eta function

The vacuum charge of a second quantized spinor field in a static classical background field on a static spacetime is studied. Wheng ₀₀=1 the vacuum charge is shown to be essentially the eta function of the spinor Hamiltonian ats=0. This is computed for compact and noncompact spaces and a boundary dependence is derived in the latter case.     

Two-body B meson decays to eta and eta('): observation of B --> eta K*

In a sample of 19 x 10(6) produced B mesons, we have observed the decays B-->eta K(*) and improved our previous measurements of B-->eta'K. The branching fractions we measure for these decay modes are B(B+-->eta K(*+)) = (26.4(+9.6)(-8.2)+/-3.3)x10(-6), B(B(0)-->eta K(*0)) = (13.8(+5.5)(-4.6)+/-1.6)x10(-6), B(B(+)-->eta'K(+) = (80(+10)(-9)+/-7)x10(-6), and B(B(0)-->eta'K0) = (89(+18)(-16)+/-9)x10(-6). We have searched with comparable sensitivity for related decays and report upper limits for these branching fractions.     

A measurement of the electromagnetic form factor of the eta meson and of the branching ratio for the eta Dalitz decay

In an optical spark chamber experiment we have obtained a sample of 80 eta Dalitz decays (η → e⁺e^?γ) and have measured the eta electromagnetic form factor to be F(X) = 1.0?(0.22 ±0.45)X, where X=M_ee²/M_η², and the branching ratio (η→e⁺e^?γ/(η→π⁺π^?π⁰)= (0.0082 ± 0.0020).     

Mechanism of near-threshold production of the eta meson

Measurements of the analyzing power for the pp-->pp eta reaction have been performed at excess energies of Q=10 and 36 MeV. The determined analyzing power is essentially consistent with zero, implying dominance of the s wave at both excess energies. The angular dependence of the analyzing power, combined with the isospin dependence of the total cross section for the eta meson production in nucleon-nucleon collisions, reveal that the excitation of the nucleon to the S11(1535) resonance is predominantly due to the exchange of the pi meson between the colliding nucleons.     

The chiral determinant and the eta invariant

For { _y },y, a one parameter family of invertible Weyl operators of possibly non-zero index acting on spinors over an even dimensional compact manifoldX, we express the phase of the chiral determinant det _– in terms of the invariant of a Dirac operator acting on spinors over ×X.Supported in part by NSF Grant No. PHY-82-15249Supported in part by NSF Grant PHY 8605978 and the Robert A. Welch Foundation     

Exploring the reaction mechanism of eta prime photoproduction

We examine theoretical implications of studying the differential cross-section and some key polarization observables in the η′ photoproduction reaction off protons, from its threshold to about 2 GeV of cm energy, the region of the so-called “missing baryon resonances”. We compare implications of different models all of which generate the observed peak in the total η′ photproduction cross section, but have very different differential cross section and polarization profields. Their measurements are thus crucial in distinguishing these reaction mechanisms, of interest to understanding QCD in its nonperturbative domain.