K. Yonehara

Evidence for a narrow S = +1 baryon resonance in photoproduction from the neutron

The gamman-->K(+)K(-)n reaction on 12C has been studied by measuring both K+ and K- at forward angles. A sharp baryon resonance peak was observed at 1.54+/-0.01 GeV/c(2) with a width smaller than 25 MeV/c(2) and a Gaussian significance of 4.6sigma. The strangeness quantum number (S) of the baryon resonance is +1. It can be interpreted as a molecular meson-baryon resonance or alternatively as an exotic five-quark state (uuddsmacr;) that decays into a K+ and a neutron. The resonance is consistent with the lowest member of an antidecuplet of baryons predicted by the chiral soliton model.

Beam polarization asymmetries for the p(gamma, K+) Lambda and p(gamma, K+) Sigma0 reactions at E(gamma) = 1.5 Gev - 2.4 GeV

Beam polarization asymmetries for the p(gamma-->,K+)Lambda and p(gamma-->,K+)Sigma(0) reactions are measured for the first time for E(gamma)=1.5-2.4 GeV and 0.6<cos((theta(c.m.)(K+))<1.0 by using linearly polarized photons at the Laser-Electron-Photon facility at SPring-8 (LEPS). The observed asymmetries are positive and gradually increase with rising photon energy. The data are not consistent with theoretical predictions based on tree-level effective-Lagrangian approaches. Including the new results in the development of the models is, therefore, crucial for understanding the reaction mechanism and to test the presence of baryon resonances which are predicted in quark models but are thus far undiscovered.

Search for

A search forKpp bound state (the lightest kaonic nucleus) has been performe d using theγd → KπX reaction at Eγ=1.5-2.4 GeV at LEPS / Pring-8. The di fferential cross section of Kπ photo-production o ff deuterium has been measured for the first time in this energy region, and a bump st ructure was searched for in the inclusive missing mass spectrum. A statistically significant bump structure was no t observed in the region from 2.22 to 2.36 GeV /c2, and the upper limits of the di fferential cross section for the Kpp bound state production were determined to be 0.1 − 7μ b (95% confidence level) for a set of assumed binding energy and width values.

K^-pp

Differential cross sections and photon-beam asymmetries have been measured for the gamma n --> K+ Sigma- and gamma p --> K+Sigma0 reactions separately using liquid deuterium and hydrogen targets with incident linearly polarized photon beams of E gamma = 1.5-2.4 GeV at 0.6 < cos ThetacmK< 1. The cross section ratio of sigma K+ Sigma-/sigma K+ Sigma0, expected to be 2 on the basis of the isospin 1/2 exchange, is found to be close to 1. For the K+ Sigma- reaction, large positive asymmetries are observed, indicating the dominance of K* exchange. The large difference between the asymmetries for the K+ Sigma- and K+ Sigma0 reactions cannot be explained by simple theoretical considerations based on Regge model calculations.

bound state via

The \gamma d \to K^+K^-pn reaction has been studied to search for the evidence of the \Theta^+ by detecting K^+K^- pairs at forward angles. The Fermi-motion corrected nK^+ invariant mass distribution shows a narrow peak at 1.524 +- 0.002 + 0.003 GeV/c^2. The statistical significance of the peak calculated from a shape analysis is 5.1 \sigma, and the differential cross-section for the \gamma n \to K^- \Theta^+ reaction is estimated to be 12 +- 2 nb/sr in the photon energy range from 2.0 GeV to 2.4 GeV in the LEPS angular range by assuming the isotropic production of the \Theta^+ in the \gamma n center-of-mass system. The obtained results support the existence of the \Theta^+.

\gamma d \rightarrow K^+ \pi^-X

Abstract We report measurements of differential cross sections and decay asymmetries of incoherent ϕ-meson photoproduction from the deuteron at forward angles using linearly polarized photons at E γ = 1.5 – 2.4 GeV . The nuclear transparency ratio for the deuteron shows a large suppression, and is consistent with the A-dependence of the ratio observed in a previous measurement with nuclear targets. The reduction for the deuteron cannot be adequately explained in term of isospin asymmetry. The present results suggest the need of refining our understanding of the ϕ–N interaction within a nucleus.

reaction at

We recently used a vertical-field rf-dipole magnet to study the spin-flipping of a 120 MeV horizontally polarized proton beam stored in the presence of a nearly-full Siberian snake in the IUCF Cooler Ring. The spin was flipped by ramping the rf-dipole’s frequency through an rf-induced depolarizing resonance. After optimizing the frequency ramp parameters, we used multiple spin-flips to measure a maximum spin-flip efficiency of 86.5±0.5% in April 2000, and 92.5±0.5% in June 2000. The spin-flip efficiency was apparently limited by the maximum achievable current in the rf-dipole. This result indicates that spin-flipping a stored polarized proton beam should be possible in high energy rings such as RHIC (and perhaps HERA in the future), where Siberian snakes are utilized and the dipole rf-flipper-magnets should be quite practical. During the June 2000 run, a new faster technique of locating the rf depolarizing resonance frequency was developed.

E_\gamma=1.5-2.4

A search forKpp bound state (the lightest kaonic nucleus) has been performe d using theγd → KπX reaction at Eγ=1.5-2.4 GeV at LEPS / Pring-8. The di fferential cross section of Kπ photo-production o ff deuterium has been measured for the first time in this energy region, and a bump st ructure was searched for in the inclusive missing mass spectrum. A statistically significant bump structure was no t observed in the region from 2.22 to 2.36 GeV /c2, and the upper limits of the di fferential cross section for the Kpp bound state production were determined to be 0.1 − 7μ b (95% confidence level) for a set of assumed binding energy and width values.

GeV

Differential cross sections and photon-beam asymmetries for the {gamma}-vectorp{yields}K{sup +{Lambda}}(1520) reaction have been measured with linearly polarized photon beams at energies from the threshold to 2.4 GeV at 0.6 =}(5/2) or by a new reaction process, for example, an interference effect with the {phi} photoproduction having a similar bump structure in the cross sections.

Differential cross section and photon-beam asymmetry for the gamma n --> K+ Sigma- reaction at E gamma = 1.5-2.4 GeV.

Abstract We report measurements of differential cross sections and decay asymmetries of incoherent ϕ-meson photoproduction from the deuteron at forward angles using linearly polarized photons at E γ = 1.5 – 2.4 GeV . The nuclear transparency ratio for the deuteron shows a large suppression, and is consistent with the A-dependence of the ratio observed in a previous measurement with nuclear targets. The reduction for the deuteron cannot be adequately explained in term of isospin asymmetry. The present results suggest the need of refining our understanding of the ϕ–N interaction within a nucleus.