Study of photon electroproduction on the nucleon at high and low energy by Virtual Compton Scattering

Virtual Compton Scattering (VCS) and Deeply Virtual Compton Scattering (DVCS) on the nucleon are two processes accessed via the photon electroproduction reaction (eN → eγN). In the first part of this paper we are interested by the DVCS on the neutron. We measured the (D(e, eγ)X-H(e, e'γ)X) unpolarized cross section and we extracted, for the first time, a non-zero contribution of (neutron-DVCS + coherent- deuteron-DVCS) at Q ² = 1.75 GeV² and x _B = 36 from Jefferson Lab experiment E08-025. VCS on the proton has been studied at Mainz Microtron MAMI at the four-momentum transfer squared Q ² = 0.5 GeV², below the pion production threshold. In the second part of this paper we present our preliminary results of the structure functions (P _LL ? (P _TT/ε)) and P _LT, and the electric and magnetic generalized polarizabilities α _E (Q ²) and β _M (Q ²) extracted from this experiment.     

Determination of quark-antiquark component of the photon wave function for <Emphasis Type="Italic">u,d, s</Emphasis> quarks

Based on the data for the transitions π⁰, η, η′ → γγ*(Q²) and reactions of the e⁺e^? annihilations e⁺e^? → ρ⁰, ω, ? and e⁺e^? → hadrons at 1<E _e+e? <3.7 GeV, we determine the light-quark components of the photon wave function \(\gamma * (Q^2 ) \to q\bar q(q = u,d,s)\) for the region 0 ? Q² ? 1 (GeV/c)².     

Polarized angular distributions in the decays of the singlet D2 state of charmonium originating from $\bar{p}p$ collisions

Using the helicity formalism, we calculate the combined angular distribution function of the neutral pion (π ⁰) and the polarized electron (e ^?) and photon (γ) produced in the triple cascade process \(\bar{p}+p\rightarrow{}^{1}D_{2}\rightarrow{}^{1}P_{1}+\gamma\rightarrow(\psi +\pi^{0})+\gamma \rightarrow(e^{-}+e^{+})+\pi^{0}+\gamma\), when \(\bar{p}\) and p are unpolarized. We also present the partially integrated angular distribution functions in three different cases where the combined angular distribution function of the three particles is integrated over the direction of one of the particles. Our results show that by measuring the two-particle angular distribution of the electron and the photon with the polarization of either particle, one can determine the relative magnitudes as well as the relative phases of all the angular-momentum helicity amplitudes in the two decay processes ¹ D ₂→¹ P ₁+γ and ¹ P ₁→ψ+π ⁰.     

Evaluation of the Integrated Cross Sections of Reactions of Exclusive Pion and Kaon Electroproduction off Protons in the Resonance Region at Photon Virtualities from 5 to 12 GeV<Superscript>2</Superscript>

The integrated cross sections of the ep → eπ⁺n, ep → eπ⁰p, ep → eK⁺Λ, and ep → eK⁺Σ⁰ reactions are evaluated in the energy range of nucleon resonance excitation at photon virtualities Q² from 5 to 12 GeV². These exclusive channels will be explored at photon virtualities Q² > 5 GeV² for the first time in future experiments with the CLAS12 detector. The cross-section evaluation is based on the extrapolation of exclusive contributions to the inclusive structure functions F₁ and F₂ from a region of Q² < 5 GeV², in which the experimental data are available, to the region of higher Q². This evaluation of cross sections is of particular importance in the development of the program of experiments with the CLAS12 detector for studying the structure of the ground and excited nucleon states, which may reveal the dynamics of strong interactions in the nonperturbative regime.     

Data on photoneutron reactions from various experiments for <Superscript>133</Superscript>Cs, <Superscript>138</Superscript>Ba and <Superscript>209</Superscript>Bi nuclei

Basic methods for determining cross sections for photoneutron partial reactions are examined. They are obtained directly in experiments with quasimonoeneregetic annihilation photons or from the cross section for the (γ, xn) = (γ, 1n) + 2(γ, 2n) + 3(γ, 3n) +... neutron-yield reaction in experiments with bremsstrahlung photons by introducing corrections based on statistical nuclear-reaction theory. The difference in the conditions of these experiments, which leads to discrepancies between their results because of sizable systematic errors, is analyzed. Physical criteria are used to study the reliability of data on the photodisintegration of ¹³³Cs, ¹³⁸Ba, and ²⁰⁹Bi nuclei. The cross sections for partial and total reactions satisfying the reliability criteria are evaluated within the experimental–theoretical method (σ^eval(γ, in) = F_i^theor × σ^expt(γ, xn)) on the basis of the experimental cross sections σ^expt(γ, xn) and the results of the calculations within the combined model of photonuclear reactions.     

Investigation of the dependence of the e<Subscript>0</Subscript>-electron yield on the radioactive decay location in <Superscript>64</Superscript>Cu sources

The yields of near-zero-energy e₀ electrons from sources of different thickness in the ⁶⁴Cu decay have been measured. At small thicknesses of the ⁶⁴Cu source, the e₀-electron yield Y _e sharply increases and is qualitatively described by the dependence Y _e ～ r ^?2, where r is the distance from the point of charge formation to the source surface.     

Deviation from the standard model in the decay <Emphasis Type="Italic">π</Emphasis><Superscript>+</Superscript> → <Emphasis Type="Italic">e</Emphasis><Superscript>+</Superscript><Emphasis Type="Italic">νγ</Emphasis>

A precise investigation of radiative pion decay (π⁺ → e⁺νγ) in a pion beam from the meson factory of the Paul Scherrer Institute (Switzerland) was performed by the PIBETA Collaboration with the aid of the PIBETA detector. This resulted in finding 41 601 events of radiative pion decay in three kinematical regions. The absolute values of the branching ratio for radiative pion decay were determined in each of these regions. To a precision approximately four times higher than that known previously, the ratio of the axial-vector to the vector form factor was found to be γ ≡ F _A /F _V = 0.443 (15), the latter being fixed at F _V = 0.0259. The number of events found in the kinematical region specified by photon energies of E_γ > 55.6 MeV, positron energies of E _e > 20.0 MeV, and angles of θ_{γ, e} > 40° between the momenta of the corresponding particles (B region) was 5233. In region B, the measured branching ratio for radiative pion decay, R_π→evγ(expt) = 11.6(3) × 10^?8, proved to be smaller by eight standard deviations than that which follows from the Standard Model, R_π→evγ (theor) = 14.34(1) × 10^?8.     

Radiative decays at LHCb

Precise measurements on rare radiative B decays are performed with the LHCb experiment at LHC. The LHCb results regarding the ratio of branching fractions for two radiative decays, B ⁰ → K ^*0 γ and B _s → ?γ, the direct CP asymmetry in B ⁰ → K ^*0 γ decay channel and the observation of the photon polarization in the B ^± → K ^±π^?π^± γ decay, are included. The first two measurements were performed in 1 fb^–1 of pp collisions data and the third one in 3 fb^–1 of data, respectively.     

Single and double spin asymmetries in the elastic <Emphasis Type="Italic">e</Emphasis>-<Emphasis Type="Italic">d</Emphasis> scattering and their dependence on the deuteron wave function

Single and double spin asymmetries in the elastic electron-deuteron (e-d ) scattering were investigated. The tensor-deuteron asymmetries T_2i(i = 0, 1, 2) and the beam-vector-deuteron asymmetries T ^e _1i(i = 0, 1) were calculated and compared with the available experimental data. The sensitivity of the results for these spin asymmetries to the deuteron wave function has been investigated. The predicted asymmetries were found to be agree with one another and with experiment. It was found that, the double spin asymmetry T ^e ₁₀ is much smaller than the T ^e ₁₁-asymmetry. Therefore, in addition to the single tensor-deuteron asymmetry T₂₀, the doubly beam-vector-deuteron asymmetry T ^e ₁₁ can be used as an another tool for extracting the deuteron electromagnetic form factors.     

Reliability of the data on the cross sections of the partial photoneutron reaction for <Superscript>63,65</Superscript>Cu and <Superscript>80</Superscript>Se nuclei

The cross sections of partial photoneutron reactions are evaluated for the ^63,65Cu and ⁸⁰Se isotopes. The cross sections are free of systematic uncertainties from shortcomings of the experimental methods for neutron multiplicity sorting based on measurements of neutron energy used in experiments with quasimonoenergetic annihilation photon beams. An experimental-theoretical method is used to evaluate cross sections σ^eval(γ, in)= F_i^theor σ^exp(γ, xn), where ratios F_i^theor = σ^theor(γ, in)/σ^theor(γ, xn) = σ^theor(γ, in)/σ^theor[(γ, 1n) + 2(γ, 2n) + …] are calculated using a combined model of photonuclear reactions, and σ^exp(γ, xn) is the experimental cross section of the neutron yield reaction free from neutron multiplicity sorting problems. The cross sections are evaluated for reactions (γ, 1n) and (γ, 2n) for the ^63,65Cu and ⁸⁰Se isotopes, and for the total photoneutron reaction σ(γ, Sn) = σ[(γ, 1n) + (γ, 2n) + …]. It is shown that noticeable deviations of the experimental cross sections from the evaluated values result from the unreliable sorting of neutrons between the channels with multiplicities 1 and 2.     

Analysis of the production of Higgs boson pairs at the one-loop level in the minimal supersymmetric standard model

Within theminimal supersymmetric standardmodel, the amplitudes and total cross sections for the processes e ⁺ e ^? → hh, e ⁺ e ^? → hH, e ⁺ e ^? → HH, and e ⁺ e ^? → AA are calculated in the first order of perturbation theory with allowance for a complete set of one-loop diagrams in the m _e → 0 approximation. Analytic expressions are obtained for the quantities under consideration; numerical results are presented in a graphical form. It is shown that the cross section for the process e ⁺ e ^? → hh is larger than those for the other processes (and is on the same order of magnitude as the cross section for the corresponding processes in the Standard Model). In the case of the collision energy equal to √s = 500 GeV, an integrated luminosity in the region ∫ ? ≥ 500 fb^?1, and a longitudinal polarization of the e ⁺ e ? beams used, 520, 320, and 300 production events are possible in the processes e ⁺ e ^? → hh (at M _h = 115 GeV), e ⁺ e ^? → HH, and e ⁺ e ^? → AA (at M _H,A = 120 GeV), respectively. Even at M _H,A ≈ 500 GeV and √s = 1.5 TeV, not less than 200 events for each of the processes can be accumulated. The cross section for the process e ⁺ e ^? → hH is small (about 10^?2 fb), which complicates the detection of the sought signal significantly.     

Isospin violation in mixing and decays of <Emphasis Type="Italic">ρ</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">ω</Emphasis> mesons

The influence of isospin-violating (ρ⁰, ω) mixing is discussed for any pair of decays of ρ⁰, ω into the same final state. It is demonstrated, in analogy to the CP violation in neutral kaon decays, that isospin violation can manifest itself in various forms: direct violation in amplitudes and/or violation due to mixing. In addition to the known decays (ρ⁰, ω) → π⁺π^? and (ρ⁰, ω) → π⁰γ, the pair of decays to e⁺e^? and the whole set of radiative decays with participation of ρ⁰, ω (in initial or final states) are also shown to be useful and promising for studies. Existing data on these decays agree with the universal character of the mixing parameter and indirectly support enhancement of ρ⁰ → π⁰γ in respect to ρ^± → π^±γ. Future precise measurements will allow one to separate different forms of isospin violation and elucidate their mechanisms.     

Experimentelle Untersuchung von Elektronen-Photonen-Kaskaden in Blei-Szintillator-Anordnungen für Primärenergien zwischen 100 und 440 MeV

Showers generated by electrons of 200 and 440 MeV energy in single lead plates of 2, 5, and 10 radiation lengths are measured in scintillator material (NE 102 A) varying between 1.24 and 10.5 g/cm². The mean energy deposited in a scintillator is derived fromNagel's Monte-Carlo calculations. The photon contributionn _γ to the total pulseheight is of the order 15% near shower maximum t_max, it dominates the electron contributionn _e in a 3 cm thick scintillator for shower depthst ≧ 4.2 · t_max. The slope of the total ionizationn _e+n _γ behind the shower maximum can be approximated byn(t) ～ exp(?0.264t). The shower absorption in scintillator depends on the thicknessx (g/cm²) as exp (?0.068x). An arrangement of counter trays, scintillators and lead plates is calibrated with electrons between 100 and 440 MeV energy. A suitably defined track-lengthS is shown to give minimum error in energy measurement and to depend linearly on electron energy. The track-length constant of 22 MeV/r.l. is compared with the results of other authors.     

Effect of FCNC mediated <Emphasis Type="Italic">Z</Emphasis> boson on lepton flavor violating decays

We study the three body lepton flavor violating (LFV) decays μ ^?→e ^? e ⁺ e ^?, \(\tau^{-} \to l_{i}^{-} l_{j}^{+} l_{j}^{-}\) and the semileptonic decay τ→μφ in the flavor changing neutral current (FCNC) mediated Z boson model. We also calculate the branching ratios for LFV leptonic B decays, B _d,s →μe, B _d,s →τe, B _d,s →τμ and the conversion of muon to electron in Ti nucleus. The new physics parameter space is constrained by using the experimental limits on μ ^?→e ^? e ⁺ e ^? and τ ^?→μ ^? μ ⁺ μ ^?. We find that the branching ratios for τ→eee and τ→μφ processes could be as large as \({\sim}{\mathcal{O}}(10^{-8})\) and \(\mathrm{Br}(B_{d,s} \to \tau \mu,~ \tau e) \sim {\mathcal{O}}(10^{-10})\). For other LFV B decays the branching ratios are found to be too small to be observed in the near future.     

37 Years with the light scalar mesons. The learned lessons

Attention is paid to the production mechanisms of light scalars that reveal their nature. We reveal the chiral shielding of the σ(600) meson. We show that the kaon loop mechanism of the ? radiative decays, ratified by experiment, is four-quark transition and points to the four-quark nature of light scalars. We show also that the light scalars are produced in the two photon collisions via four-quark transitions in contrast to the classic P wave tensor qq? mesons that are produced via two-quark transitions γγ → qq?. We study the mechanism of production of the light scalar mesons in the D _s ⁺ → π⁺π^? e ⁺ν decays: D _s ⁺ → ss?e ⁺ν → [σ(600) + f ₀(980)]e ⁺ν → π⁺π^? e ⁺ν, and compare it with the mechanism of production of the light pseudoscalar mesons in the D _s ⁺ → (η/η′)e ⁺ν decays: D _s ⁺ → ss?e ⁺ν → (η/η′)e ⁺ν. As a result we find support to four-quark nature of light scalars. In the end, we outline the future research program.     

Resonant mechanism of axion photoproduction in a magnetized electron gas

It was shown that the contribution of diagrams with electron-positron vacuum excitation in a strong magnetic field B ? B ₀ = m ²/e = 4.41 × 10¹³ G in the Compton mechanism of axion production γe → ae at temperatures on the order of the axion mass exceeds the contribution of the “simple” Compton diagram and the contribution of the neutrino production γe → (ν\(\bar \nu \))e to the radiation power by many orders of magnitude. The conclusion is made on the probable axionic nature of the cold hidden mass of the Universe.     

Photoproduction of Triplets on Free Electrons and the Search for the Dark Photon

We have investigated the photoproduction of triplets on free electrons, γe^– → e⁺e^–e^–, in which dark photon A′ can be formed as an intermediate state with subsequent decay into an e⁺e^– pair. This effect appears as a result of the so-called kinetic mixing and is characterized by the small parameter describing the intensity of the interaction of the dark photon with charged Standard Model (SM) particles in terms of electric charge e. The search for a manifestation of A′ in this process is advantageous since the background to the A′ signal is purely electrodynamic and, hence, can be calculated with the required accuracy. We calculate this background taking into account the identity of final electrons. As regards A′, its contribution is taken into account only in Compton-type diagrams (of virtual Compton scattering) in which a virtual dark photon is a time-like particle and its propagator has the form of a Breit–Wigner resonance. It is only in the vicinity of resonance that A′ can be manifested. We calculate the invariant mass distribution of both e⁺e^– pairs formed in the process and analyze the kinematic region in which relatively small squares of momenta transferred from the target electron to the formed electrons are excluded. In these conditions, the contribution to the differential cross section from Compton-type diagrams is not suppressed relative to the contribution of the remaining (Borsellino) diagrams. A number of limitations on parameter depending on the dark photon mass and the statistics (number) of events are obtained for a special method of gathering events in which the invariant mass of one e⁺e^– pair remains fixed and of the other pair is scanned.     

Long Time,Large Scale Limit of the Wigner Transform for a System of Linear Oscillators in One Dimension

We consider the long time, large scale behavior of the Wigner transform W _? (t,x,k) of the wave function corresponding to a discrete wave equation on a 1-d integer lattice, with a weak multiplicative noise. This model has been introduced in Basile et al. in Phys. Rev. Lett. 96 (2006) to describe a system of interacting linear oscillators with a weak noise that conserves locally the kinetic energy and the momentum. The kinetic limit for the Wigner transform has been shown in Basile et al. in Arch. Rat. Mech. 195(1):171–203 (2009). In the present paper we prove that in the unpinned case there exists γ ₀>0 such that for any γ∈(0,γ ₀] the weak limit of W _? (t/? ^3/2γ ,x/? ^γ ,k), as ??1, satisfies a one dimensional fractional heat equation \(\partial_{t} W(t,x)=-\hat{c}(-\partial_{x}^{2})^{3/4}W(t,x)\) with \(\hat{c}>0\). In the pinned case an analogous result can be claimed for W _? (t/? ^2γ ,x/? ^γ ,k) but the limit satisfies then the usual heat equation.     

Observational Data Fitting to Constrain Variable Modified Chaplygin Gas in the Background of Horava-Lifshitz Gravity

FRW universe in Horava-Lifshitz (HL) gravity model filled with a combination of dark matter and dark energy in the form of variable modified Chaplygin gas (VMCG) is considered. The permitted values of the VMCG parameters are determined by the recent astrophysical and cosmological observational data. Here we present the Hubble parameter in terms of the observable parameters Ω _{d m0}, Ω _{v m c g0}, H ₀, redshift z and other parameters like α, A, γ and n. From Stern data set (12 points), we have obtained the bounds of the arbitrary parameters by minimizing the χ ² test. The best-fit values of the parameters are obtained by 66 %, 90 % and 99 % confidence levels. Next due to joint analysis with BAO and CMB observations, we have also obtained the bounds of the parameters (A, γ) by fixing some other parameters α and n. The best fit value of distance modulus μ(z) is obtained for the VMCG model in HL gravity, and it is concluded that our model is perfectly consistent with the union2 sample data.     

An ab initio study of ion-pair states of the Br<Subscript>2</Subscript> molecule

This contribution reports an ab initio study of 18 ion-pair states of the Br₂ molecule correlating with the Br⁺(³P_J=2,1,0,¹D₂) +Br^–(¹S₀) dissociation asymptotes. Calculations were performed on the CASSCF/CASPT2 level of theory taking into account electron correlations and with inclusion of the spinorbit coupling. Ab initio results are compared with the experiment. For gerade and ungerade ion-pair potentials, the difference between calculated and experimental values of the equilibrium internuclear distance does not exceed ΔR_e = ±0.01 and ±0.05 Å, respectively. For the states correlating to the lowest dissociation asymptote Br⁺(³P₂) + Br^–(¹S₀), the accuracy of relative energies is postilions ΔT_e ± 0.02 eV. The dipole moment functions for some transitions between the ion-pair and valence states were calculated as well.