Dispersion relations and the spin polarizabilities of the nucleon

A forward dispersion calculation is implemented for the spin polarizabilities γ₁,,γ₄ of the proton and the neutron. These polarizabilities are related to the spin structure of the nucleon at low energies and are structure-constants of the Compton scattering amplitude at . In the absence of a direct experimental measurement of these quantities, a dispersion calculation serves the purpose of constraining the model building, and of comparing with recent calculations in heavy baryon chiral perturbation theory.     

Generalized polarizabilities and electroexcitation of the nucleon

Generalized nucleon polarizabilities for virtual photons can be defined in terms of electroproduction cross sections as function of the 4-momentum transfer Q². In particular, the sum of the generalized electric and magnetic polarizabilities Σ=α+β and the spin polarizability γ can be expressed by virtual photon absorption cross sections integrated over the excitation energy. These quantities have been calculated within the framework of the recently developed unitary isobar model for pion photo- and electroproduction on the proton, which describes the available experimental data up to an excitation energy of about 1 GeV. Our results have been compared to the predictions of chiral perturbation theory.     

Quasifree compton scattering from the deuteron and nucleon polarizabilities

Cross sections for quasifree Compton scattering from the deuteron were measured for incident energies of E(gamma) = 236-260 MeV at the laboratory angle straight theta(gamma(')) = -135 degrees. The recoil nucleons were detected in a liquid-scintillator array situated at straight theta(N) = 20 degrees. The measured differential cross sections were used, with the calculations of Levchuk et al., to determine the polarizabilities of the bound nucleons. For the bound proton, the extracted values were consistent with the accepted value for the free proton. Combining our results for the bound neutron with those from Rose et al., we obtain 1-sigma constraints of alpha;(n) = 7.6-14.0 and beta;(n) = 1.2-7.6.     

Elastic compton scattering from the deuteron and nucleon polarizabilities

Cross sections for elastic Compton scattering from the deuteron were measured over the laboratory angles straight theta(gamma) = 35 degrees -150 degrees. Tagged photons in the laboratory energy range E(gamma) = 84-105 MeV were scattered from liquid deuterium and detected in the large-volume Boston University NaI spectrometer. Using the calculations of Levchuk and L'vov, along with the measured differential cross sections, the isospin-averaged nucleon polarizabilities in the deuteron were estimated. A best-fit value of (alpha;-beta;) = 2.6+/-1.8 was determined, constrained by dispersion sum rules. This is markedly different from the accepted value for the proton of (alpha;-beta;)(p) = 10.0+/-1.5+/-0.9.     

Generalized spin polarizabilities of the nucleon in heavy-baryon chiral perturbation theory at order Omicron(p(4))

We present the first heavy-baryon chiral perturbation theory calculation at order Omicron(p(4)) for the spin-dependent amplitudes for virtual Compton scattering off the nucleon and extract the Omicron(p(4)) results for the generalized spin polarizabilities of the nucleon.     

Generalized polarizabilities of the nucleon in baryon chiral perturbation theory

The nucleon generalized polarizabilities (GPs), probed in virtual Compton scattering (VCS), describe the spatial distribution of the polarization density in a nucleon. They are accessed experimentally via the process of electron–proton bremsstrahlung (\(ep\rightarrow ep\gamma \)) at electron-beam facilities, such as MIT-Bates, CEBAF (Jefferson Lab), and MAMI (Mainz). We present the calculation of the nucleon GPs and VCS observables at next-to-leading order in baryon chiral perturbation theory (B\(\chi \)PT), and confront the results with the empirical information. At this order our results are predictions, in the sense that all the parameters are well known from elsewhere. Within the relatively large uncertainties of our calculation we find good agreement with the experimental observations of VCS and the empirical extractions of the GPs. We find large discrepancies with previous chiral calculations – all done in heavy-baryon \(\chi \)PT (HB\(\chi \)PT) – and discuss the differences between B\(\chi \)PT and HB\(\chi \)PT responsible for these discrepancies.     

Measurement of spin polarizabilities of the proton

Spin polarizabilities are as-yet experimentally unknown fundamental structure constants that describe the response of the nucleon spin to the action of a changing electromagnetic field. The A2 Collaboration at the Institute for Nuclear Physics in Mainz (Institut für Kernphysik, Mainz) performed the first measurements of the energy and angular dependences of spin asymmetries of the cross section for doubly polarized (polarized-photon beam incident to a polarized proton target) Compton effect in the Δ-resonance region, these asymmetries being sensitive to values of the spin polarizabilities. The preparation of spin-asymmetry measurements at energies below the pion-production threshold with an active (scintillating) polarized target is in progress. These measurements will make it possible to determine individual spin polarizabilities of the proton in a model-independent way.     

Spin polarizabilities of the nucleon from polarized low-energy Compton scattering

As a guideline for forthcoming experiments, we present predictions from Chiral Effective Field Theory for polarized cross-sections in low-energy Compton scattering for photon energies below 170 MeV, both on the proton and on the neutron. Special interest is put on the role of the nucleon spin polarizabilities which can be examined especially well in polarized Compton scattering. We present a model-independent way to extract their energy dependence and static values from experiment, interpreting our findings also in terms of the low-energy effective degrees of freedom inside the nucleon: The polarizabilities are dominated by chiral dynamics from the pion cloud, except for resonant multipoles, where contributions of the -resonance turn out to be crucial. We therefore include it as an explicit degree of freedom. We also identify some experimental settings which are particularly sensitive to the spin polarizabilities.Received: 19 August 2003, Revised: 30 October 2003, Published online: 27 April 2004PACS: 13.40.-f Electromagnetic processes and properties - 13.60.Fz Elastic and Compton scattering - 14.20.Dh Protons and neutronsH.W. Grießhammer: Permanent address: Technische Universität MünchenT.R. Hemmert: Permanent address: Technische Universität München     

The spin structure of the nucleon

An introduction to deep inelastic scattering experiments investigating the spin structure of the proton and the neutron is given. Discussed are measurements with longitudinally polarized targets to determine the spin structure functiong ₁ and sum rules and to do pQCD analyses with inclusive data, while a flavour separation and first extractions of the gluon polarization are performed with semi-inclusive data.     

Sigma-->gammagamma width from nucleon electromagnetic polarizabilities

The lightest QCD resonance, the sigma, has been recently fixed in the pipi scattering amplitude. The nature of this state remains nowadays one of the most intriguing and difficult issues in particle physics. Its coupling to photons is crucial for discriminating its structure. We propose a new method that fixes this coupling using only available precise experimental data on the proton electromagnetic polarizabilities together with analyticity and unitarity. By taking into account the uncertainties in the analysis and in the parameter values, our result is Gamma{pole}(sigma-->gammagamma)=1.2+/-0.4 keV.     

Generalized polarizabilities of the nucleon studied in the linear sigma model

The generalized polarizabilities of the nucleon have been calculated in the one-loop approximation of the linear sigma model in the limit of infinite sigma mass. In particular, we have investigated the spin-independent amplitude of virtual Compton scattering off the nucleon. The dependence of the polarizabilities on the momentum transferQ has been compared with two recent model calculations. It has been shown in the linear sigma model that only two of the three scalar polarizabilities are independent quantities. Particular attention has been paid to the real photon point (Q ²=0), where the results of the relativisitc chiral perturbation theory have been recovered.     

Generalized polarizabilities of the nucleon studied in the linear sigma model

The generalized polarizabilities of the nucleon have been calculated in the one-loop approximation of the linear sigma model in the limit of infinite sigma mass. In particular, we have investigated the spin-independent amplitude of virtual Compton scattering off the nucleon. The dependence of the polarizabilities on the momentum transfer Q has been compared with two recent model calculations. It has been shown in the linear sigma model that only two of the three scalar polarizabilities are independent quantities. Particular attention has been paid to the real photon point (Q² = 0), where the results of the relativistic chiral perturbation theory have been recovered.     

QCD sum rules and electromagnetic polarizabilities of a nucleon

We investigate the electromagnetic polarizabilities of a nucleon using the method of QCD sum rules. The diagrams in the operator product expansion are taken into account up to dimension 6. We find that the polarizabilities of a nucleon can be expressed by means of three new kinds of susceptibilities of quark condensates which represent the response under weak external electromagnetic fields. Estimating the susceptibilities with the QCD sum rules itself based on the formalism by Balitsky et al., we see that good agreement is obtained for the neutron electric polarizability.     

Results on the nucleon spin structure

SMC performed an investigation of the spin structure of the nucleon by measuring deep inelastic scattering of polarised mouns off polarised protons and deuterons: Asymmetries and spin structure functions were obtained for x>0.0008 and Q ²>0.2 GeV². Using a next-to-leading order QCD analysis of all experimental results polarised parton distributions and their first moments were determined. All data show a clear violation of the Ellis-Jaffe sum rule. The Bjorken sum rule is found to be valid and is tested to the 10% level.     

Complete one-loop analysis of the Nucleon's spin polarizabilities

The passage of cosmic rays has been observed to excite mechanical vibrations in the resonant gravitational wave detector NAUTILUS operating at temperature of 100 mK. A very significant correlation (more than 10 standard deviations) is found.     

Measurement of the proton spin polarizabilities at MAMI

The spin polarizabilities of the nucleon are fundamental structure constants which describe the response of the nucleon spin to an incident polarized photon. The most model-independent way to measure the nucleon spin polarizabilities is the Compton scattering with polarization degrees of freedom. Three Compton scattering asymmetries on the proton were measured in the Δ(1232) region using a polarized incident photon beam and a polarized (or unpolarized) proton target at the Mainz Microtron (MAMI). These asymmetries are sensitive to values of the spin polarizabilities. Fits to asymmetry data were performed using a dispersion model calculation, and a separation of all four proton spin-polarizabilities in the multipole basis was achieved. The values of the proton spin polarizabilities are presented.     

The quark spin structure of the nucleon

Some non-perturbative aspects of the nucleon quark spin structure are reviewed. The first part is a brief summary of early theoretical developments in the field of polarized deep inelastic scattering of electrons on polarized nucleons and an illustration of the non-perturbative power of lattice QCD 25 years later. The second part is a short pedagogical introduction to the analysis of high energy scattering in the complex angular momentum plane, with particular emphasis on spin-dependent deep inelastic electron-nucleon scattering. The third part comprises a brief introduction to lattice QCD and its applications in the non-perturbative determination of the spin-dependent structure functions.     

Soliton models for the nucleon and predictions for the nucleon spin structure

In these lectures the three flavor soliton approach for baryons is reviewed. Effects of flavor symmetry breaking in the baryon wave functions on axial current matrix elements are discussed. A bosonized chiral quark model is considered to outline the computation of spin dependent nucleon structure functions in the soliton picture.