Probing hadronic polarizations with dilepton anisotropies

We investigate the production of e ⁺ e ^? pairs from p + Be and nucleus-nucleus collisions from 2 GeV/A to 200 GeV/A within a covariant transport approach and focus on the dilepton angular anisotropies as a function of the dilepton invariant mass. Whereas the low mass regime yields information about the Dalitz decays of the Δ, η and ω, above M ≈ 0.5 GeV the angular anisotropies provide additional information about the π ⁺ π ^? → ρ ⁰ → e ⁺ e ^? channel in the medium. The anisotropy coefficient is found to change its sign for M > 0.5 GeV in case of nucleus-nucleus reactions when increasing the bombarding energy from 2 GeV/A to 200 GeV/A which sheds some light on the ππ → ρ dynamics.     

An improved upper limit on the ντ-mass from the decay π−→π−π−π−π+π+ντ

Using the ARGUS detector at the e⁺e⁻ storage ring DORIS II, we have observed the decay τ⁻→π⁻π⁻π⁻π⁺π⁺ν_τ in tau-pair events produced at center-or-mass energies between 9.4 and 10.6 GeV. From the 5π invariant mass distribution we derive an upper limit of m(ν_τ)<35 MeV/c² at the 95% confidence level. The branching ratio for this decay channel is found to be (0.064±0.023±0.01)%.     

Missing-mass spectra observed in π + p → p + X at 25 and 40 GeV/c

Missing-mass spectra were obtained in the reaction π⁻p → p X⁻ at 25 and 40 GeV/c at the Serpukhov Accelerator. At low masses a strong peak at 1.3 and a smaller one near 1.7 GeV are observed. In the mass region above 2 GeV no structure exceeding 3μb/(geV/c² is seen.     

Structure in momentum-transfer for (pπ−) systems produced in diffractive dissociation of neutrons on protons

The four-momentum transfer distribution of (pπ^?) systems produced in the neutron dissociation reaction n + p → (pπ^?) + p has substantial structure which depends strongly on the mass and on the angular decay properties of the produced (pπ^?) system. No significant energy dependence is observed in the data for incident neutrons in the momentum range between 50 GeV/c and 300 GeV/c. The results are compared with a Deck-type of model.     

Search for narrow four-baryon states

Highly excited (4.10?mass?5.35 GeV/c²) four-baryon resonances have been searched for in the missing-mass spectrum of the reaction π^?+⁴He→π^?+X at 5 GeV/c in the region of small four-momentum transfer (0.005?6t6?0.15 (GeV/c)²), where one of the decay products of the X is either proton or deuteron or triton. No resonance signal is seen in the mass spectrum of X. Within our limited acceptance, the cross section for the production of a narrow (Γ ～ 20 MeV/c²) four-baryon state with mass 4.9 GeV/c² is estimated to be smaller than ～ 100 nb.     

KNπ final states in K+p interactions at 7.3 GeV/c

Data are presented on the production of the KNπ final states in K⁺p interactions at 7.3 GeV/c. The energy dependence of the KNπ final state cross sections, the effective-mass distributions, and the spectra of c.m. longitudinal momenta are given, and features of these data are compared with predictions of the generalized Veneziano (GV) model. Furthermore, we present the momentum transfer and decay angular distributions for K¹ (890), K¹ (1420) and Δ (1236) production within the KNπ final states and discuss these quasi-two-body reactions in terms of the GV model.     

Do B meson decays exclude a light Higgs?

In the standard model with three generations a light Higgs boson will be produced in a quarter of all B meson decays. A novel calculation of the b → sH matrix element is given. Existing data on B meson decays excludes a light Higgs with mass less than 300 MeV or between 2 and 3.7 GeV. Because of theoretical uncertainties in the branching fractions for Higgs production and decay, a window between 300 MeV and 2 GeV is still allowed. Such a Higgs could be discovered at the ϒ (4S) in inclusive π⁺π⁻ or K⁺ K⁻ invariant mass plots, and in events with six kaons.     

Observation of a spin 4 neutral meson with 2 GeV mass decaying in π° π°

The invariant mass spectrum of neutral meson states from π^?p interactions at 40 GeV/c incident momentum has been investigated in a high statistics experiment performed at the 70 GeV IHEP accelerator. To detect the high energy photons coming from the produced neutral states, a hodoscope spectrometer with a computer on-line was used. A clear structure on the mass spectrum of dipions produced in the reaction π^?p→π°π°n is observed at 2 GeV. The decay angular distributions show in this mass region the variation with mass typical of a state with a spin J = 4. The mass of the observed meson is found to be M = (2020±30)MeV and the estimate of the full width is (180±60) MeV.     

A study of K−π+ scattering in the reaction K−p→K−π+n at 11 GeV/c

Results from a high statistics study of the reaction K⁻p→K⁻π⁺n are presented. These results are based on data obtained with an 11 GeV/c beam using the LASS spectrometer at SLAC. The mass dependence of the spherical harmonic moments provides clear evidence for the production of the complete leading orbitally excited K¹ series up through J^P = 5⁻. These moments are used to perform an energy independent partial wave analysis of the K⁻π⁺ system from threshold to 2.6 GeV/c² using a t-dependent parametrization of the production amplitudes. The amplitudes corroborate the leading K¹(892), K₂¹(1430), K₃¹(1780), K₄¹(2060), and K₅¹(2380) resonances observed directly in the moments, and also provide new evidence for underlying states. The 0⁺ amplitude contains the K₀¹(1350) and a second 0⁺K¹(1950) at higher mass. The 1⁻K¹(1790) seen earlier two and three-body analyses is confirmed, and evidence is provided for suppressed K⁻π⁺ decay mode of a second 1⁻ state, the K¹(1410), which has been seen in earlier three-body analyses.     

A partial wave analysis of the Q enhancement in the reaction K−p→K−π−π+p at 3.95 GeV/c

We present results on the partial wave analysis of the Kππ system in the mass interval 1.1 to 1.6 GeV/c², in the reaction K^?p→K^?π^?π⁺p at 3.95 GeV/c. Our results are compared to those at higher energies, and we note certain differences. In particular, we find very much less of the ?K decay mode of the 1⁺S 0⁺ wave. In addition, the relative phase between the 1⁺S 0⁺ (K¹π) and the 2⁺D 1⁺ (K¹π) wave has been measured.     

The reaction pp→pπ−π+p at 25 and 40 GeV/c

The reaction $\text{p}\text{p}\text{→}\text{p}\text{π}{}^{\mathrm{?}}\text{π}{}^{\mathrm{+}}\text{p}$ has been studied at 25 and 40 GeV/c at the Serpukhov proton synchroton using the CERN-IHEP spectrometer. The differential cross section has been determined as a function of four-momentum transfer to the proton (0.05–0.30 (GeV/c)²) and $\text{p}\text{ππ}$ mass (up to 2.2 and 2.6 GeV/c²). At both energies there is a broad low-mass maximum with an enhancement at 1.6–1.8 GeV/c². The cross section in a given mass band falls rapidly with |t|, with an exponential slope that decreases with increasing mass. In both the background and the 1.7 GeV/c² peak there is a strong $\text{Δ}{}^{\mathrm{??}}\text{π}{}^{\mathrm{+}}$ component. Possible spin-parity (J^P) contributions to it are discussed. Throughout the range 1.5–2.2 GeV there is at least one state of $\text{J ?}\text{3}\text{2}$ and there is interference between states of opposite P, |ΔJ| ? 1. At the peak there is a $\text{J ?}\text{5}\text{2}$ component. There are striking parallels between this reaction and the boson reactions π^?p→π^?π^?π⁺p and K^? → K^?π^?π⁺p.     

Measurement of the polarization parameter of the reactionsπ− p → π0n and ηn at 5 and 8 GeV/c

Measurements of the polarization parameter of the reactions π^?p → π⁰n and π^?p → ηn at 4.90 and 7.85 GeV/c and for a squared four-momentum transfer ?t ranging from 0.1 to 2.0 (GeV/c)² have been achieved by using a butanol polarized proton target and detecting only the two γ's from the neutral meson decay. The background due to events involving bound protons has been separately measured and subtracted out. A large positive polarization has been found for the reaction π^?p → π⁰n. It is consistent with other pion-nucleon scattering data connected by isospin conservation. The polarization for the reaction π^?p → ηn is not significantly different from zero within the large experimental errors.     

Momentum spectra of secondary particles produced in proton-proton collisions at 14.2, 19.2 and 24.0 GeV/c

Results on charged particle yields in proton-proton collisions at 14.2, 19.2 and 24.0 GeV/c for secondary momenta above 4 GeV/c and lab angles between 10 and 150 mrad are reported. Cross sections for inclusive reactions involving the production of π^± K^±, p and $\text{p}$ are presented. The general features of the dependence of the data on transverse and longitudinal momentum, missing mass, and four-momentum transfer are described and the approach to limiting distributions in the 10 to 30 GeV energy range is discussed.     

Vector resonances around 1.6 GeV of the ηπ+π− system in the π−p charge exchange reaction at 8.95 GeVc

High statistics data of the ηππ system in π⁻p→ηπ⁺π⁻n were obtained. A partial wave analysis was performed in the mass region between 1.37 and 1.85 GeV. Resonant structures were observed in the IJ^PC = 11⁻⁻ wave around 1.6 GeV and in 13⁻⁻ around 1.7 GeV. The structure in 11⁻⁻ was fitted with a single Breit-Wigner and also fitted with two Breit-Wigner's. The result suggests the possible existence of two vector resonances around 1.6 GeV. The structure in 13⁻⁻ is considered to be the π₃(1690).     

Cross section determination for the reaction K+p → K+pπ+π−π0 and K+π+π+π−n at 8.2 and 16 GeV/c

The cross sections for the reactions: (a) K⁺p → K⁺pπ⁺π^?π⁺ and (b) K⁺p → K⁺π⁺π⁺π^?n have been determined at 8.2 and 16 GeV/c with the following results:at 8.2 GeV/c: (a) 0.99 ± 0.07 mb, (b) 0.41 ± 0.04 mb;at 16 GeV/c: (a) 0.72 ± 0.05 mb, (b) 0.28 ± 0.05 mb.Using the available data at other energies, the cross-section dependence of these reactions on the incident momentum is discussed.     

Multiparticle emission in the interactions of hadrons with complex nuclei at incident momenta from 2 to 4 GeV/c

The charged secondary particles emitted in inelastic reactions of 4 GeV/cπ⁺ and π^? with the nuclei Be, Cu and Ta are thoroughly studied in their multiplicities, particle correlations and the distributions of kinematical variables, with the 1 m hydrogen bubble chamber into which the three nuclear target plates were installed. The numbers of charged secondaries emitted in the π^?(2.3 GeV/c), π⁺(2 GeV/c) and p(4 GeV/c) reactions are also investigated. From these data, characteristic features of the multiplication process of secondaries in nuclear matter are clarified. The experimental results are compared with the calculation of an intra-nuclear cascade model which takes into account the process of pion absorption by two-nucleon clusters in the nucleus. It is found that the experimental results on the properties of charged secondaries are consistently explained by the model. The model can also give an account of the experimental finding that fairly high momentum protons are emitted from the heavier nuclei into the backward hemisphere in the lab system.     

Electron production by 4.0 GeV/cπ+p interactions

We have investigated electron production in 4.0 GeV/cπ⁺pinteractions. Limits to direct electron pair production are measured and an example of ?⁰ or ω⁰ decay to e⁺e^? is observed. The ratio of the number of singly produced electrons to the total number of charged pions is less than 6 × 10^-5 (at the 95% confidence level).     

Dile pton production in p+ p,Cu+Cu and Au+Au collisions at $\sqrt{s} = 200$ GeV

We study dilepton production in proton–proton, Cu+Cu as well as in Au+Au collisions at the center-of-mass energy \(\sqrt{s} =200\) GeV per participating nucleon pair within an extended statistical hadronization model. In extension to earlier studies we incorporate transport calculations for an estimate of uncorrelated e ⁺ e ^? -pairs from semileptonic D meson decays. While the invariant mass spectrum of dielectrons is well understood in the p+p collisions, severe discrepancies among different model scenarios based on hadronic degrees of freedom and recent data from the PHENIX Collaboration are found in heavy-ion collisions in the low-mass region from 0.15 to 0.6 GeV as well as in the intermediate mass regime from 1.1 to 3 GeV when employing the standard dilepton sources. We investigate, furthermore, the background from correlated dileptons that are not emitted as a pair from a parent hadron but emerge from semileptonic decays of two correlated daughter hadrons. Our calculations suggest a sizeable contribution of such sources in central heavy-ion collisions in the low-mass region. However, even the upper limits of our calculations are found to be far below the dilepton mass spectra of the PHENIX Collaboration.     

Investigation of the ηη system in π − p interactions at a momentum of 32.5 GeV/c at the GAMS-4π spectrometer

The ηη system produced in charge-exchange π ^? p interaction at a momentum of 32.5 GeV/c is studied in an experiment performed with the GAMS-4π spectrometer at the 70-GeV accelerator of the Institute for High-Energy Physics (IHEP, Protvino). A partial-wave analysis is performed in the mass range between 1.1 and 3.9 GeV for ?t <0.2 (GeV/c)², S, D, G, and J waves being taken into account in this analysis. The S wave has a complicated structure, displaying peaks at about 1.5 and 1.7 GeV. These peaks are associated with the f ₀(1500) and f ₀(1710) mesons. One of the solutions (preferable one) involves the f ₀(2200) and f ₂(1950) resonances. The mass region above 2.4 GeV is dominated by the G wave. A broad state of mass about 3 GeV and width 0.7 GeV is found in the J wave. The parameters of the resonances in question and their production cross sections are measured.