Observation of a threshold effect in the anomalous J/ψ suppression

We report on a search for a phase transition from ordinary nuclear matter to a state of deconfined quarks and gluons as predicted by lattice QCD calculations. A new measurement of charmonium production in Pb-Pb interactions at 158 GeV/c per nucleon agrees with our previous results and confirms the anomalous J/ψ suppression we had already observed on a significantly smaller data sample. New event selection and analysis techniques show that, for peripheral collisions, the J/ψ cross-section per nucleon-nucleon collision agrees with the precise suppression pattern inferred from a wide range of measurements extending from p-p up to S-U collisions. As the collisions become more central, the Pb-Pb cross-section exhibits a clear departure from this normal behaviour. The onset of the anomalous J/ψ suppression reported here is the first clear observation of a threshold effect in heavy ion collisions and can be considered as a strong indication of the production of a deconfined quark-gluon phase in central Pb-Pb collisions.     

Anomalous J/ψ suppression in Pb---Pb interactions at 158 GeV/c per nucleon

The Drell-Yan and J/ψ cross-sections measured in Pb---Pb collisions are compared with the values extrapolated from the results obtained in proton and light ion induced reactions. While the Drell-Yan production exhibits the normal expected behaviour, the yield of J/ψ in Pb---Pb interactions is abnormally low, as it lies 9 standard deviations below the expected value. Moreover, the departure from the expected behaviour increases significantly from peripheral to central collisions.     

J/ψ, ψ′ and related decays from dual unitarisation

The widths for about 30 decay modes of the J/ψ family are calculated from dual unitarisation. Consistency with experiment is obtained wherever such information is available.     

Symmetry breaking and the decays ψ′ → J/ψπ(η) and J/ψ → η(η′) γ

The theoretical mechanisms for the decays ψ′ → ψπ⁰ and ψ′ → ψη, which violate SU₂ and SU₃, respectively discussed. It is argued that symmetry breaking in the decay amplitudes may be as important as π⁰ −η −η′ mixing. The π⁰ −η mechanism ψ′ → ψν → ψπ⁰ leads to Γ(ψ′ → ψπ⁰) = (3.3±1.0) × 10⁻³ Γ(ψ′ → ψν), but this number may be enhanced by a factor as large as 12 by π⁰−η′ mixing and isospin violation in the decay amplitude. The related decays ψ → ηγ and ψ → η′γ are also discussed.     

χ and J/ψ production in double-diffractive proton-proton collisions

It was pointed out earlier, that double-diffractive J/ψ production may serve as an important instrument to probe the odderon. However, double-diffractive production of χ′s due to pomeron-pomeron fusion, subsequently decaying into J/ψ + γ is a possibly troublesome background. Therefore, we calculate the corresponding differential cross sections for χ production and compare the obtained J/ψ yield to the rate of J/ψ directly produced by pomeron-pomeron fusion. We show that χ production is strongly suppressed. Hence, we conclude that double-diffractive exclusive J/ψ production could be the ideal process to search for the odderon.     

Note on the angular analysis of the decay J/ψ→f(→ππ)+γ

We derive the general (4-parameter) angular decay distribution for the cascade decay J/ψ→f(→ππ)+γ and determine its angular coefficients from the absorptive and dispersive contributions of the lowest order QCD diagram.     

CP test in J/ψ→γφφ decay

We propose to test CP symmetry in the decay J/ψ→γφφ, for which large data sample exists at BESII, and a data sample of 10¹⁰ J/ψ's will be collected with BESIII and CLEO-C program. We suggest some CP asymmetries in this decay mode for CP test. Assuming that CP violation is introduced by the electric- and chromo-dipole moment of charm quark, these CP asymmetries can be predicted by using valence quark models. Our work shows a possible way to get information about the electric- and chromo-dipole moment of charm quark, which is little known. Our results show that with the current data sample of J/ψ, electric- and chromo-dipole moment can be probed at order of 10⁻¹³ e cm. In the near future with a 10¹⁰ data sample, these moments can be probed at order of 10⁻¹⁴ e cm.     

J/ψ and Drell-Yan cross-sections in Pb---Pb interactions at 158 GeV/c per nucleon

First results are reported on J/ψ and Drell-Yan cross-sections in Pb---Pb reactions at 158 GeV/c per nucleon. The ratio of cross-sections σ_J/ψ/σ_DY is studied as a function of the impact parameter of the collision estimated from the measured transverse energy.     

A Partial Wave Analysis of the Reaction π+p→ (π+π−π0) Δ++ at 16 GeV/c

A partial wave analysis of the 3π-system has been performed for the reaction π⁺p→ (π⁺π^?π⁰) Δ⁺⁺ (1232) at 16 GeV/c. Beside the well-established A₂⁰ (1300), the resonant state ω* with isospin I = 0 and spin-parity J^P = 3^? decaying mainly into (?π) has been found. Its mass and width have been determined to be M = (1.71 ± 0.03) GeV and Γ = (0.22 ± 0.10) GeV. The cross section for the reaction π⁺p→ ω* (1700) Δ⁺⁺ (1232) is σ = (12 ± 6) μb.     

Double charge exchange and one-pion production in π He collisions at 1.7 GeV/c

We present the results of a study of the exclusive reactions π^{+ 4}He → π⁻ 4p (double charge exchange, DCE) and π^{+ 4}He → π⁺ π⁻ 3pn (one-pion production). The experiment was performed with the Oxford/RHEL helium bubble chamber irradiated with a 1.7 GeV/c π⁺ beam. A general review of DCE models is presented and experimental results at other energies are discussed in the light of these models. None of the existing theoretical models is compatible with out data at 1.7 GeV/c. We propose a new mechanism for DCE, involving three nucleons, which reproduces the integrated as well as the differential cross sections. Some consequences for other models are also discussed.     

Suppression of charmonium production in PbPb collisions at 158 GeV/c per nucleon and quark-gluon deconfinement

An anomalous suppression of the charmonium yield in central collisions was observed in studying charmonium production in collisions of Pb nuclei accelerated to a momentum of 158 GeV/c per nucleon with Pb target nuclei. It is shown that, in peripheral collisions, the ratio of the cross section for J/ψ production to the cross section for the Drell-Yan process decreases exponentially (as in the case of collisions of lighter nuclei) owing to the ordinary absorption of J/gy in nuclear matter. The observed threshold effect of the anomalous suppression of charmonium production agrees well with the predictions based on the assumption of Debye color screening in the formation of quark-gluon plasma.     

Hypernuclear production in the (K, π) reaction

Cross sections for the production of hypernuclei were measured in the reaction A(K⁻, π⁻) _ΛA. on light and heavy nuclear targets, using a separated K⁻ beam at the CERN Proton Synchrotron. The pions were detected in the forward direction. The results are compared with cross sections calculated under the assumption that the reaction took place on a single neutron. The good agreement between the measured and the calculated cross sections justifies the use of the (K⁻, π⁻) reaction in order to obtain spectroscopic information on hypernuclei.     

Determination of Backbone Angle ψ in Proteins Using a TROSY-Based α/β-HN(CO)CA-J Experiment

Transverse relaxation-optimized NMR experiment (TROSY) for the measurement of three-bond scalar coupling constant between ¹H^α_i−1 and ¹⁵N_i defining the dihedral angle ψ is described. The triple-spin-state-selective experiment allows measurement of ³J_H^αN from ¹³C^α, ¹⁵N, and ¹H^N correlation spectra H₂O with minimum resonance overlap. Transverse relaxation of ¹³C^α spin is minimized by using spin-state-selective filtering and by acquiring a signal longer in ¹⁵N-dimension in a manner of semi-constant-time TROSY evolution. The ³J_H^αN values obtained with the proposed α/β-HN(CO)CA-J TROSY scheme are in good agreement with the values measured earlier from ubiquitin in D₂O using the HCACO[N] experiment.     

Search for the ρρ enhancement near 1700 MeV/c in the reaction at 8.3 GeV/c

Results are presented from a search for a ρ⁰ρ⁰ enhancement in antiproton annihilations. A ρ⁰ρ⁰ resonance was recently observed in radiative ψ decays, and its existence has been supported by the results of an antiproton experiment at 5.7 GeV/c. No indication of this ρ⁰ρ⁰ enhancement is seen is our data, in direct contradiction with the earlier, lower statistics experiment.     

Observation of χb production in the exclusive reaction ′→γγχb→γγ→γγ(eeorμμ−)

We report on the observation of 1 ³P_J (χ_b) production in the reaction ′→γχ_b→γγ→γγ(e⁺e⁻ or μ⁺μ⁻). The data were recorded with the nonmagnetic CUSB detector at the Cornell Electron Storage Ring, CESR. We observe 124 γγ events with either an electron or muon pair in the final state. In the γγ correlation plot about 40% of the events cluster around (120, 430) MeV.     

Σ hypernuclear spectra from (K, π) inclusive reactions

We report on DWIA calculations of the pion inclusive spectra related to Σ-formation in (K⁻, π⁺) reactions on nuclei. Realistic distorted waves are used to describe the incoming kaon and outgoing pion. The Σ wave function is calculated in a real Woods-Saxon potential, the depth of which provides information about the underlying Σ N effective interaction. The absorptive effect due to the Σ-Λ conversion process in the nuclear medium is taken into account by effective two-channel coupled equations. Comparisons are made with the available data on ¹²C and ¹⁶O. Using a weak Σ-nucleus potential the overall agreement is satisfactory for the spectrum derived from kaon-in-flight experiments. Concerning the three peaks reported in a stopped kaon experiment on ¹²C, the lowest peak structure can be generated by increasing the depth of the Σ potential in ¹²C. However, the remaining two narrow structures cannot be reproduced as Σ-particle-proton-hole states in our continuum treatment of the Σ spectrum. The difficulties in extracting the strength of the Σ-nucleus spin-orbit potential are also discussed.