Interplay of quark and meson degrees of freedom in a near-threshold resonance

We investigate the interplay of quark and meson degrees of freedom in a physical state representing a near-threshold resonance for the case of a single continuum channel. We demonstrate that such a near-threshold resonance may possess quite peculiar properties if both quark and meson dynamics generate weakly coupled near-threshold poles in the S -matrix. In particular, the scattering t -matrix may possess zeros in this case. We also discuss possible implications for production reactions as well as studies within lattice QCD.     

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).     

Study of B meson decays with excited eta and eta' mesons

Using 383 x 10(6) BBover pairs from the BABAR data sample, we report results for branching fractions of six charged B-meson decay modes, where a charged kaon recoils against a charmless resonance decaying to KKover* or etapipi final states with mass in the range (1.2-1.8) GeV/c2. We observe a significant enhancement at the low KKover* invariant mass which is interpreted as B+-->eta(1475)K+, find evidence for the decay B+-->eta(1295)K+, and place upper limits on the decays B+-->eta(1405)K+, B+-->f1(1285)K+, B+-->f1(1420)K+, and B+-->phi(1680)K+.     

Axial vector meson production

Recently available differential cross section and density matrix information on π^?p → B^?p at 4 GeV/c are successfully described in terms of t channel exchanges and s channel absorptive effects. The s channel helicity amplitude which is dominant at small |t| (zero net helicity flip ω exchange) is found to have a zero at ?t = 0.2 GeV². SU(3) and higher symmetries are used to predict cross sections for further axial vector meson production processes, in particular non-diffractive A₁ production. The importance of these processes with regard to Regge phenomenology and meson spectroscopy is emphasized.     

Non-diffractive production of meson resonances

We study the peripheral cross sections of resonances that cannot be produced by π-exchange. In particular, we concentrate on the four meson nonets expected as L = 1 quark states (i.e., the J^P = 0⁺π_N(980); J^P = 1⁺ A₁, B; J^P = 2⁺ A₂). We use SU(3), Regge poles, factorization, exchange degeneracy, pole extrapolation, and the vector-meson-photon analogy. We predict the cross sections in both photoproduction and non-diffractive hadronic reactions. In passing, we discuss the large unnatural-parity (B, K?Q_B) exchange contributions and even the possibility of studying ππ → πω while avoiding the B production background.     

Measurement of branching fractions and charge asymmetries in B decays to an eta meson and a K* meson

We present measurements of branching fractions and charge asymmetries for the decays B-->etaK*, where K* indicates a spin 0, 1, or 2 Kpi system. The data sample corresponds to 344x10(6) BB pairs collected with the BABAR detector at the PEP-II asymmetric-energy e+ e- collider at SLAC. We measure the branching fractions (in units of 10(-6): B(B0-->etaK*0(892))=16.5+/-1.1+/-0.8, B(B+-->etaK*+(892))=18.9+/-1.8+/-1.3, B(B0-->eta(Kpi)0*0)=11.0+/-1.6+/-1.5, B(B+-->eta(Kpi)0*+)=18.2+/-2.6+/-2.6, B(B0-->etaK2*0(1430))=9.6+/-1.8+/-1.1, and B(B+-->etaK2*+(1430))=9.1+/-2.7+/-1.4. We also determine the charge asymmetries for all decay modes.     

Interplay of quark and meson degrees of freedom in a near-threshold resonance: Multi-channel case

We investigate the interplay of quark and meson degrees of freedom in a physical state representing a near-threshold resonance for the case of multiple continuum channels. The aim is to demonstrate the full complexity of possible near-threshold phenomena. It turns out that those are especially rich, if both quark and meson dynamics generate simultaneously weakly coupled near-threshold poles in the S-matrix. We study the properties of this scenario in detail, such as t-matrix and production amplitude zeros, as well as various effects of the continuum channels interplay.     

Exclusive meson production at HERMES

The exclusive electroproduction of pseudoscalar and vector mesons was studied with the HERMES spectrometer at the DESY laboratory by scattering 27.6 GeV positron and electron beams off a transversely polarized hydrogen target.The results are compared to calculations based on generalized parton distributions,some of which are sensitive to the contribution of the total angular momentum of the quarks to the proton spin.     

Exclusive meson production at HERMES

Hard exclusive production of mesons in deep-inelastic scattering allows one to probe the so-far unknown Generalized Parton Distributions (GPDs) of the nucleon. The HERMES experiment has measured several different observables in exclusive meson production by scattering the 27.6GeV HERA lepton beam off an internal fixed gaseous target. Recent results on exclusive π ⁺, ρ ⁰ and pion pair production will be presented.     

Exclusive meson production at HERMES

The exclusive electroproduction of pseudoscalar and vector mesons was studied with the HERMES spectrometer at the DESY laboratory by scattering 27.6 GeV positron and electron beams off a transversely polarized hydrogen target.The results are compared to calculations based on generalized parton distributions,some of which are sensitive to the contribution of the total angular momentum of the quarks to the proton spin.     

Measurements of the mass and width of the eta(c) meson and of an eta(c)(2S) candidate

The mass m(eta(c)) and total width Gamma(eta(c))(tot) of the eta(c) meson have been measured in two-photon interactions at the SLAC e(+)e(-) asymmetric B Factory with the BABAR detector. With a sample of approximately 2500 reconstructed eta(c)-->K(0)(S)K+/-pi(-/+) decays in 88 fb(-1) of data, the results are m(eta(c))=2982.5+/-1.1(stat)+/-0.9(syst) MeV/c(2) and Gamma(eta(c))(tot)=34.3+/-2.3(stat)+/-0.9(syst) MeV/c(2). Using the same decay mode, a second resonance with 112+/-24 events is observed with a mass of 3630.8+/-3.4(stat)+/-1.0(syst) MeV/c(2) and width of 17.0+/-8.3(stat)+/-2.5(syst) MeV/c(2). This observation is consistent with expectations for the eta(c)(2S) state.