A. Esser

High-precision determination of the electric and magnetic form factors of the proton.

New precise results of a measurement of the elastic electron-proton scattering cross section performed at the Mainz Microtron MAMI are presented. About 1400 cross sections were measured with negative four-momentum transfers squared up to Q{sup 2}=1 (GeV/c){sup 2} with statistical errors below 0.2%. The electric and magnetic form factors of the proton were extracted by fits of a large variety of form factor models directly to the cross sections. The form factors show some features at the scale of the pion cloud. The charge and magnetic radii are determined to be {sup 1/2}=0.879(5){sub stat}(4){sub syst}(2){sub model}(4){sub group} fm and {sup 1/2}=0.777(13){sub stat}(9){sub syst}(5){sub model}(2){sub group} fm.

Electric and magnetic form factors of the proton

New precise results of a measurement of the elastic electron-proton scattering cross section performed at the Mainz Microtron MAMI are presented. About 1400 cross sections were measured with negative four-momentum transfers squared up to Q² = 1 (GeV/c)² with statistical errors below 0.2%. The electric and magnetic form factors of the proton were extracted by fits of a large variety of form factor models directly to the cross sections. The form factors show some features at the scale of the pion cloud. The charge and magnetic radii are determined to be ½ = 0.879(5)stat(4)syst(2)model(4)group fm and ½ = 0.777(13)stat(9)syst(5)model(2)group fm.

Search at the Mainz Microtron for light massive gauge bosons relevant for the muon g-2 anomaly.

H. Merkel,1, ∗ P. Achenbach,1 C. Ayerbe Gayoso,1 T. Beranek,1 J. Beričič,2 J. C. Bernauer,1, † R. Böhm,1 D. Bosnar,3 L. Correa,1 L. Debenjak,2 A. Denig,1 M. O. Distler,1 A. Esser,1 H. Fonvieille,4 I. Friščić,3 M. Gómez Rodrı́guez de la Paz,1 M. Hoek,1 S. Kegel,1 Y. Kohl,1 D. G. Middleton,1 M. Mihovilovič,1 U. Müller,1 L. Nungesser,1 J. Pochodzalla,1 M. Rohrbeck,1 G. Ron,5 S. Sánchez Majos,1 B. S. Schlimme,1 M. Schoth,1 F. Schulz,1 C. Sfienti,1 S. Širca,2, 6 M. Thiel,1 A. Tyukin,1 A. Weber,1 and M. Weinriefer1 (A1 Collaboration) Institut für Kernphysik, Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz, D-55099 Mainz, Germany‡ Jožef Stefan Institute, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia Department of Physics, University of Zagreb, HR-10002 Zagreb, Croatia Clermont Université, Université Blaise Pascal, CNRS/IN2P3, LPC, BP 10448, F-63000 Clermont-Ferrand, France Racah Institute of Physics, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 91904, Israel Department of Physics, University of Ljubljana, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia (Dated: April 22, 2014)

Observation of H Λ 4 Hyperhydrogen by Decay-Pion Spectroscopy in Electron Scattering

At the Mainz Microtron MAMI, the first high-resolution pion spectroscopy from decays of strange systems was performed by electron scattering off a (9)Be target in order to study the Λ binding energy of light hypernuclei. Positively charged kaons were detected by a short-orbit spectrometer with a broad momentum acceptance at 0° forward angles with respect to the beam, efficiently tagging the production of strangeness in the target nucleus. Coincidentally, negatively charged decay pions were detected by two independent high-resolution spectrometers. About 10(3) pionic weak decays of hyperfragments and hyperons were observed. The pion momentum distribution shows a monochromatic peak at pπ≈133  MeV/c, corresponding to the unique signature for the two-body decay of hyperhydrogen Λ(4)H→(4)He+π(-), stopped inside the target. Its Λ binding energy was determined to be BΛ=2.12±0.01  (stat)±0.09  (syst)MeV with respect to the (3)H+Λ mass.

Exclusive electroproduction of K+Λ and K+Σ0 final states at Q2 = 0.030–0.055 (GeV/c)2

Cross-section measurements of the exclusive p(e, e′K+)Λ, Σ0electroproduction reactions have been performed at the Mainz Microtron MAMI in the A1 spectrometer facility using for the first time the KAOS spectrometer for kaon detection. These processes were studied in a kinematical region not covered by any previous experiment. The nucleon was probed in its third-resonance region with virtual photons of low four-momenta, Q2 = 0.030–0.055 (GeV/c)2. The MAMI data indicate a smooth transition in Q2 from photoproduction to electroproduction cross-sections. Comparison with predictions of effective Lagrangian models based on the isobar approach reveal that strong longitudinal couplings of the virtual photon to the N* resonances can be excluded from these models. Modern isobar and Regge-plus-resonance models are in agreement with the data.

First measurement of proton's charge form factor at very low Q2 with initial state radiation

Abstract We report on a new experimental method based on initial-state radiation (ISR) in e–p scattering, which exploits the radiative tail of the elastic peak to study the properties of electromagnetic processes and to extract the proton charge form factor ( G E p ) at extremely small Q 2 . The ISR technique was implemented in an experiment at the three-spectrometer facility of the Mainz Microtron (MAMI). This led to a precise validation of radiative corrections far away from elastic line and provided first measurements of G E p for 0.001 ≤ Q 2 ≤ 0.004 ( GeV / c ) 2 .

Measurement of polarization-transfer to bound protons in carbon and its virtuality dependence

Abstract We measured the ratio P x / P z of the transverse to longitudinal components of polarization transferred from electrons to bound protons in C 12 by the C 12 ( e → , e ′ p → ) process at the Mainz Microtron (MAMI). We observed consistent deviations from unity of this ratio normalized to the free-proton ratio, ( P x / P z ) C 12 / ( P x / P z ) H 1 , for both s- and p-shell knocked out protons, even though they are embedded in averaged local densities that differ by about a factor of two. The dependence of the double ratio on proton virtuality is similar to the one for knocked out protons from H 2 and He 4 , suggesting a universal behavior. It further implies no dependence on average local nuclear density.

Particle tracking in kaon electroproduction with cathode-charge sampling in multi-wire proportional chambers

Abstract Wire chambers are routinely operated as tracking detectors in magnetic spectrometers at high-intensity continuous electron beams. Especially in experiments studying reactions with small cross-sections the reaction yield is limited by the background rate in the chambers. One way to determine the track of a charged particle through a multi-wire proportional chamber (MWPC) is the measurement of the charge distribution induced on its cathodes. In practical applications of this read-out method, the algorithm to relate the measured charge distribution to the avalanche position is an important factor for the achievable position resolution and for the track reconstruction efficiency. An algorithm was developed for operating two large-sized MWPCs in a strong background environment with multiple-particle tracks. Resulting efficiencies were determined as a function of the electron beam current and on the signal amplitudes. Because of the different energy-losses of pions, kaons, and protons in the momentum range of the spectrometer the efficiencies depend also on the particle species.

Components of polarization-transfer to a bound proton in a deuteron measured by quasi-elastic electron scattering

Abstract We report the first measurements of the transverse ( P x and P y ) and longitudinal ( P z ) components of the polarization transfer to a bound proton in the deuteron via the H 2 ( e → , e ′ p → ) reaction, over a wide range of missing momentum. A precise determination of the electron beam polarization reduces the systematic uncertainties on the individual components to a level that enables a detailed comparison to a state-of-the-art calculation of the deuteron using free-proton electromagnetic form factors. We observe very good agreement between the measured and the calculated P x / P z ratios, but deviations of the individual components. Our results cannot be explained by medium modified electromagnetic form factors. They point to an incomplete description of the nuclear reaction mechanism in the calculation.

Measurement of the p(e,e′π+)n reaction close to threshold and at low Q2

The cross section of the p(e,e′π+)n reaction has been measured for five kinematic settings at an invariant mass of W=1094MeV and for a four-momentum transfer of Q2=0.078(GeV/c)2. The measurement has been performed at MAMI using a new short-orbit spectrometer (SOS) of the A1 collaboration, intended for detection of low-energy pions. The transverse and longitudinal cross section terms were separated using the Rosenbluth method and the transverse-longitudinal interference term has been determined from the left-right asymmetry. The experimental cross section terms are compared with the calculations of three models: DMT2001, MAID2007 and χMAID. The results show that we do not yet understand the dynamics of the fundamental pion.