J. C. McGeorge

Upgrade of the Glasgow photon tagging spectrometer for Mainz MAMI-C

The Glasgow photon tagging spectrometer at Mainz has been upgraded so that it can be used with the 1500MeV electron beam now available from the Mainz microtron MAMI-C. The changes made and the resulting properties of the spectrometer are discussed.

Near-threshold photoproduction of η-mesons from the deuteron

Abstract The first measurement of incoherent η-photoproduction from the deuteron in the threshold region is reported. The experiment was carried out at the MAMI accelerator with the TAPS spectrometer. Total and differential inclusive cross sections have been obtained between 627 and 790 MeV. It is found that the reaction is completely dominated by the incoherent part. An upper limit for coherent η-photoproduction on the deuteron is deduced, which is substantially lower than the result from an earlier measurement. The incoherent cross section is reproduced in a participant-spectator approach under the assumption of an energy-independent ratio between the neutron and proton cross sections. Best agreement is found for the ratio σ n σ p ≈ 2 3 . The implications for the isospin components of the electromagnetic excitation of the S11(1535) resonance are discussed.

Near threshold photoproduction of η-mesons from complex nuclei

Total and differential cross sections for photoproduction of eta mesons from C-12, Ca-40, Nb-93 and Pb-nat have been obtained up to 790 MeV incident photon energy at the Mainz Microtron (MAMI) with the TAPS spectrometer. The absorption cross section sigma(eta N)(abs) = (30 +/- 2.5 +/- 6) mb of eta mesons in nuclear matter and the absorption length lambda(eta) = (2.0 +/- 0.2 +/- 0.4) fm are extracted. No significant depletion of the S(1)1(1535) strength in the eta photoproduction on nuclei is observed.

Quasi-free Compton scattering and the polarizabilities of the neutron

Abstract:Differential cross-sections for quasi-free Compton scattering from the proton and neutron bound in the deuteron have been measured using the Glasgow/Mainz photon tagging spectrometer at the Mainz MAMI accelerator together with the Mainz [48]cm ;SPMOslash; × [64]cm NaI(Tl) photon detector and the Göttingen SENECA recoil detector. The data cover photon energies ranging from [200]MeV to [400]MeV at θLABγ = 136.2°. Liquid deuterium and hydrogen targets allowed direct comparison of free and quasi-free scattering from the proton. The neutron detection efficiency of the SENECA detector was measured via the reaction p(γ,π+n). The “free” proton Compton scattering cross-sections extracted from the bound proton data are in reasonable agreement with those for the free proton which gives confidence in the method to extract the differential cross-section for free scattering from quasi-free data. Differential cross-sections on the free neutron have been extracted and the difference of the electromagnetic polarizabilities of the neutron has been determined to be αn - βn = 9.8±3.6(stat)+2.1-1.1(syst)±2.2(model) in units of [10-4]fm3. In combination with the polarizability sum αn + βn = 15.2±0.5 deduced from photoabsorption data, the neutron electric and magnetic polarizabilities, αn = 12.5±1.8(stat)+1.1-0.6(syst)±1.1(model) and βn = 2.7±1.8(stat)+0.6-1.1(syst)±1.1(model) are obtained. The backward spin polarizability of the neutron was determined to be γ(n)π = (58.6±4.0)×10-4fm4.

Neutron polarizabilities investigated by quasifree Compton scattering from the deuteron

Measuring Compton scattered photons and recoil neutrons in coincidence, quasifree Compton scattering by the neutron has been investigated at MAMI (Mainz) at theta(lab)(gamma) = 136 degrees in an energy range from 200 to 400 MeV. From the data a polarizability difference of alpha(n)-beta(n) = 9.8+/-3.6(stat)+2.1-1.1(syst)+/-2.2(model) in units of 10(-4) fm(3) has been determined. In combination with the polarizability sum alpha(n)+beta(n) = 15.2+/-0.5 deduced from photoabsorption data, the first precise results for the neutron electric and magnetic polarizabilities, alpha(n) = 12.5+/-1.8(stat)+1.1-0.6(syst)+/-1.1(model) and beta(n) = 2.7-/+1.8(stat)+0.6-1.1(syst)-/+1.1(model), are obtained.

Backward spin polarizability gamma(pi) of the proton

Using the Mainz 48cmO × 64cm NaI(Tl) detector and the segmented Gottingen recoil detector SENECA in coincidence, Compton scattering by the proton atlab = 136 ◦ has been measured at MAMI (Mainz) in the en- ergy range from 200 to 470 MeV. The new data confirm the previous ob- servation that there is a systematic discrepancy between MAMI and LEGS (Brookhaven) data leading to different spin polarizabilities � = 38.7 ± 1.8 and 27.2 ± 3.1 (×10 −4 fm 4 ), respectively.

In-Medium Properties of the D 13 (1520) Nucleon Resonance

The in-medium properties of the D13(1520) nucleon resonance were studied via photoproduction of pi(0) mesons from nuclei (C, Ca, Nb, Pb) with the TAPS detector at the Mainz Microton accelerator. The inclusive (single and multiple pion production) data disagree with model predictions which explain the disappearance of the second resonance bump in total photoabsorption via a medium modification of the D13-->Nrho decay. The exclusive single pi(0) production data show no broadening of the resonance structure beyond Fermi smearing. Both results together cast doubt on attempts to explain the vanishing of the second resonance bump for nuclei by a broadening of the D13 resonance.

Measurement and simulation of the neutron response of the Nordball liquid scintillator array

The response of the liquid scintillator array Nordball to neutrons in the energy range 1.5 < T-n < 10 MeV has been measured by time of flight using a Cf-252 fission source. Fission fragments were detected by means of a thin-film plastic scintillator. The measured differential and integral neutron detection efficiencies agree well with predictions of a Monte Carlo simulation of the detector which models geometry accurately and incorporates the measured, non-linear proton light output as a function of energy. The ability of the model to provide systematic corrections to photoneutron cross-sections, measured by Nordball at low energy, is tested in a measurement of the two-body deuteron photodisintegration cross-section in the range E-gamma = 14-18 MeV. After correction the present H-2 (gamma, n)p measurements agree well with a published evaluation of the large body of H-2(gamma, p)n data. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. (Less)

Three-nucleon mechanisms in photoreactions

Abstract The 12C(γ,ppn) reaction has been measured for Eγ=150–800 MeV in the first study of this reaction in a target heavier than 3He. The experimental data are compared to a microscopic many body calculation. The model, which predicts that the largest contribution to the reaction arises from final state interactions following an initial pion production process, overestimates the measured cross sections and there are strong indications that the overestimate arises in this two-step process. The selection of suitable kinematic conditions strongly suppresses this two-step contribution leaving cross sections in which up to half the yield is predicted to arise from the absorption of the photon on three interacting nucleons and which agree with the model. The results indicate (γ,3N) measurements on nuclei may be a valuable tool for obtaining information on the nuclear three-body interaction.

Knockout of proton-neutron pairs from 16O with electromagnetic probes

After recent improvements to the Pavia model of two-nucleon knockout from 16O with electromagnetic probes the calculated cross-sections are compared to experimental data from such reactions. Comparison with data from a measurement of the 16O (e,e’ pn) reaction cross-section shows much better agreement between the experimental data and the results of the theoretical model than was previously observed. In a comparison with recent data from a measurement of the 16O (