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Egiyan, H.

Publications and source records attributed to Egiyan, H..

35 records · Page 2

Measurement of Charged-Pion Production in Deep-Inelastic Scattering off Nuclei with the CLAS Detector

Background: Energetic quarks in nuclear deep-inelastic scattering propagate through the nuclear medium. Processes that are believed to occur inside nuclei include quark energy loss through medium-stimulated gluon bremsstrahlung and intranuclear interactions of forming hadrons. More data are required to gain a more complete understanding of these effects. Purpose: To test the theoretical models of parton transport and hadron formation, we compared their predictions for the nuclear and kinematic dependence of pion production in nuclei. Methods: We have measured charged-pion production in semi-inclusive deep-inelastic scattering off D, C, Fe, and Pb using the CLAS detector and the CEBAF 5.014-GeV electron beam. We report results on the nuclear-to-deuterium multiplicity ratio for π + and π - as a function of energy transfer, four-momentum transfer, and pion energy fraction or transverse momentum—the first three-dimensional study of its kind. Results: The π + multiplicity ratio is found to depend strongly on the pion fractional energy z and reaches minimum values of 0.67 ± 0.03, 0.43 ± 0.02, and 0.27 ± 0.01 for the C, Fe, and Pb targets, respectively. The z dependencies of the multiplicity ratios for π + and π - are equal within uncertainties for C and Fe targets but show differences at the level of 10% for the Pb-target data. The results are qualitatively described by the GIBUU transport model, as well as with a model based on hadron absorption, but are in tension with calculations based on nuclear fragmentation functions. Conclusions: These precise results will strongly constrain the kinematic and flavor dependence of nuclear effects in hadron production, probing an unexplored kinematic region. They will help to reveal how the nucleus reacts to a fast quark, thereby shedding light on its color structure and transport properties and on the mechanisms of the hadronization process.

Moran, S.↗

Electron-beam energy reconstruction for neutrino oscillation measurements

Neutrinos exist in one of three types or ‘flavours’—electron, muon and tau neutrinos—and oscillate from one flavour to another when propagating through space. This phenomena is one of the few that cannot be described using the standard model of particle physics (reviewed in ref. 1), and so its experimental study can provide new insight into the nature of our Universe (reviewed in ref. 2). Neutrinos oscillate as a function of their propagation distance (L) divided by their energy (E). Therefore, experiments extract oscillation parameters by measuring their energy distribution at different locations. As accelerator-based oscillation experiments cannot directly measure E, the interpretation of these experiments relies heavily on phenomenological models of neutrino–nucleus interactions to infer E. Here we exploit the similarity of electron–nucleus and neutrino–nucleus interactions, and use electron scattering data with known beam energies to test energy reconstruction methods and interaction models. We find that even in simple interactions where no pions are detected, only a small fraction of events reconstruct to the correct incident energy. More importantly, widely used interaction models reproduce the reconstructed energy distribution only qualitatively and the quality of the reproduction varies strongly with beam energy. This shows both the need and the pathway to improve current models to meet the requirements of next-generation, high-precision experiments such as Hyper-Kamiokande (Japan) and DUNE (USA).

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Electromagnetic calorimeters based on scintillating lead tungstate crystals for experiments at Jefferson Lab

A new electromagnetic calorimeter consisting of 140 lead tungstate (PbWO 4 ) scintillating crystals was constructed for the PrimEx- η experiment at Jefferson lab. The calorimeter was integrated into the data acquisition and trigger systems of the GlueX detector and used in the experiment to reconstruct Compton scattering events. The experiment started collecting data in the spring of 2019 and acquired about 30% of the required statistics. The calorimeter is a prototype for two PbWO 4 -based detectors: the Neutral Particle Spectrometer (NPS) and the lead tungstate insert of the Forward CALorimeter (FCAL) of the GlueX detector. The article presents the design and performance of the Compton calorimeter and gives a brief overview of the FCAL and NPS projects.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

Measurement of deeply virtual Compton scattering off 4 He with the CEBAF Large Acceptance Spectrometer at Jefferson Lab

We report on the measurement of the beam spin asymmetry in the deeply virtual Compton scattering off $^4$He using the CEBAF Large Acceptance Spectrometer (CLAS) at Jefferson Lab using a 6 GeV longitudinally polarized electron beam incident on a pressurized $^4$He gaseous target. We detail the method used to ensure the exclusivity of the measured reactions, in particular the upgrade of CLAS with a radial time projection chamber to detect the low-energy recoiling $^4$He nuclei and an inner calorimeter to extend the photon detection acceptance at forward angles. Our results confirm the theoretically predicted enhancement of the coherent ($e^4$He$~\to~e'$$^4$He$'\gamma'$) beam spin asymmetries compared to those observed on the free proton, while the incoherent ($e^4$He$~\to~e'$p$'\gamma'$X$'$) asymmetries exhibit a 30$\%$ suppression. From the coherent data, we were able to extract, in a model-independent way, the real and imaginary parts of the only $^4$He Compton form factor, $\cal H_A$, leading the way toward 3D imaging of the partonic structure of nuclei.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

12 C(e,e'pN) measurements of short range correlations in the tensor-to-scalar interaction transition region

High-momentum configurations of nucleon pairs at short-distance are probed using measurements of the $^{12}$C$(e,e'p)$ and $^{12}$C$(e,e'pN)$ reactions (where $N$ is either $n$ or $p$), at high-$Q^2$ and $x_B>1.1$. The data span a missing-momentum range of 300--1000 MeV/c and are predominantly sensitive to the transition region of the strong nuclear interaction from a Tensor to Scalar interaction. The data are well reproduced by theoretical calculations using the Generalized Contact Formalism with both chiral and phenomenological nucleon-nucleon ($NN$) interaction models. This agreement suggests that the measured high missing-momentum protons up to $1000$ MeV/c predominantly belong to short-ranged correlated (SRC) pairs. The measured $^{12}$C$(e,e'pN)$ / $^{12}$C$(e,e'p)$ and $^{12}$C$(e,e'pp)$ / $^{12}$C$(e,e'pn)$ cross-section ratios are consistent with a decrease in the fraction of proton-neutron SRC pairs and increase in the fraction of proton-proton SRC pairs with increasing missing momentum. This confirms the transition from an isospin-dependent tensor $NN$ interaction at $\sim 400$ MeV/c to an isospin-independent scalar interaction at high-momentum around $\sim 800$ MeV/c as predicted by theoretical calculation.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Photoproduction of the f 2 ( 1270 ) Meson Using the CLAS Detector

The quark structure of the f 2 ( 1270 ) meson has, for many years, been assumed to be a pure quark-antiquark (q$\bar{q}$) resonance with quantum numbers J PC = 2 ++ . Recently, it was proposed that the f 2 ( 1270 ) is a molecular state made from the attractive interaction of two ρ mesons. Such a state would be expected to decay strongly to final states with charged pions due to the dominant decay ρ → π + π - , whereas decay to two neutral pions would likely be suppressed. Here, we measure for the first time the reaction γp → π 0 π 0 p , using the CEBAF Large Acceptance Spectrometer detector at Jefferson Lab for incident beam energies between 3.6 and 5.4 GeV. Differential cross sections, dσ/dt , for f 2 ( 1270 ) photoproduction are extracted with good precision due to low backgrounds and are compared to theoretical calculations.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

Measurement of beam asymmetry for π – Δ ++ photoproduction on the proton at E γ = 8.5 GeV

We report a measurement of the $\pi^-$ photoproduction beam asymmetry for the reaction $\vec{\gamma} p \rightarrow \pi^- \Delta^{++}$ using data from the GlueX experiment in the photon beam energy range 8.2--8.8 GeV. The asymmetry $\Sigma$ is measured as a function of four-momentum transfer $t$ to the $\Delta^{++}$ and compared to phenomenological models. We find that $\Sigma$ varies as a function of $t$: negative at smaller values and positive at higher values of $|t|$. The reaction can be described theoretically by $t$-channel particle exchange requiring pseudoscalar, vector, and tensor intermediaries. In particular, this reaction requires charge exchange, allowing us to probe pion exchange and the significance of higher-order corrections to one-pion exchange at low momentum transfer. Constraining production mechanisms of conventional mesons may aid in the search for and study of unconventional mesons. Furthermore, this is the first measurement of the process at this energy.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

Photoproduction of η mesons off the proton for 1.2 < E γ < 4.7GeV using CLAS at Jefferson Laboratory

Photoproduction cross sections are reported for the reaction $\gamma p\to p\eta$ using energy-tagged photons and the CLAS spectrometer at Jefferson Laboratory. The $\eta$ mesons are detected in their dominant charged decay mode, $\eta\to \pi^+\pi^-\pi^0$, and results on differential cross sections are presented for incident photon energies between 1.2 and 4.7 GeV. These new $\eta$ photoproduction data are consistent with earlier CLAS results but extend the energy range beyond the nucleon resonance region into the Regge regime. The normalized angular distributions are also compared with the experimental results from several other experiments, and with predictions of $\eta$ MAID\,2018 and the latest solution of the Bonn-Gatchina coupled-channel analysis. Differential cross sections $d\sigma/dt$ are presented for incident photon energies $E_\gamma > 2.9$ GeV ($W > 2.5$ GeV), and compared with predictions which are based on Regge trajectories exchange in the $t$-channel (Regge models). Overall, the data confirm the expected dominance of $\rho$, $\omega$ vector-meson exchange in an analysis by the Joint Physics Analysis Center.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

Extraction of Beam-Spin Asymmetries from the Hard Exclusive π + Channel off Protons in a Wide Range of Kinematics

We have measured beam-spin asymmetries to extract the $\sin\phi$ moment $A_{LU}^{\sin\phi}$ from the hard exclusive $\vec{e} p \to e^\prime n \pi^+$ reaction above the resonance region, for the first time with nearly full coverage from forward to backward angles in the center-of-mass. The $A_{LU}^{\sin\phi}$ moment has been measured up to 6.6 GeV$^{2}$ in $-t$, covering the kinematic regimes of Generalized Parton Distributions (GPD) and baryon-to-meson Transition Distribution Amplitudes (TDA) at the same time. The experimental results in very forward kinematics demonstrate the sensitivity to chiral-odd and chiral-even GPDs. In very backward kinematics where the TDA framework is applicable, we found $A_{LU}^{\sin\phi}$ to be negative, while a sign change was observed near 90$^\circ$ in the center-of-mass. The unique results presented in this paper will provide critical constraints to establish reaction mechanisms that can help to further develop the GPD and TDA frameworks.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

The GlueX beamline and detector

The GlueX experiment at Jefferson Lab has been designed to study photoproduction reactions with a 9-GeV linearly polarized photon beam. The energy and arrival time of beam photons are tagged using a scintillator hodoscope and a scintillating fiber array. The photon flux is determined using a pair spectrometer, while the linear polarization of the photon beam is determined using a polarimeter based on triplet photoproduction. Charged-particle tracks from interactions in the central target are analyzed in a solenoidal field using a central straw-tube drift chamber and six packages of planar chambers with cathode strips and drift wires. Electromagnetic showers are reconstructed in a cylindrical scintillating fiber calorimeter inside the magnet and a lead-glass array downstream. Charged particle identification is achieved by measuring energy loss in the wire chambers and using the flight time of particles between the target and detectors outside the magnet. The signals from all detectors are recorded with flash ADCs and/or pipeline TDCs into memories allowing trigger decisions with a latency of 3.3 $μs$. The detector operates routinely at trigger rates of 40 kHz and data rates of 600 megabytes per second. Here, we describe the photon beam, the GlueX detector components, electronics, data-acquisition and monitoring systems, and the performance of the experiment during the first three years of operation.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

First measurement of direct photoproduction of the a 2 (1320) 0 meson on the proton

We present the first measurement of the reaction γ p → a 2 ( 1320 ) 0 p in the photon energy range 3.5– 5.5 Ge V and four-momentum transfer squared 0.2 < - t < 2.0 Ge V 2 . Data were collected with the CEBAF Large Acceptance Spectrometer detector at the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility. The a 2 resonance was detected by measuring the reaction γ p → π 0 η p and reconstructing the π 0 η invariant mass. The most prominent feature of the differential cross section is a dip at -t ≈ 0.55 Ge V 2 . This can be described in the framework of Regge phenomenology, where the exchange degeneracy hypothesis predicts a zero in the reaction amplitude for this value of the four-momentum transfer.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Measurement of the photon beam asymmetry in γ → p → K + Σ 0 at E γ = 8.5 GeV

We report measurements of the photon beam asymmetry $\Sigma$ for the reaction $\vec{\gamma} p\to K^+\Sigma^0$(1193) using the GlueX spectrometer in Hall D at Jefferson Lab. Data were collected using a linearly polarized photon beam in the energy range of 8.2-8.8 GeV incident on a liquid hydrogen target. The beam asymmetry $\Sigma$ was measured as a function of the Mandelstam variable $t$, and a single value of $\Sigma$ was extracted for events produced in the $u$-channel. These are the first exclusive measurements of the photon beam asymmetry $\Sigma$ for the reaction in this energy range. For the $t$-channel, the measured beam asymmetry is close to unity over the $t$-range studied, $-t=(0.1-1.4)~$(GeV/$c$)$^{2}$, with an average value of $\Sigma = 1.00\pm 0.05$. This agrees with theoretical models that describe the reaction via the natural-parity exchange of the $K^{*}$(892) Regge trajectory. A value of $\Sigma = 0.41 \pm 0.09$ is obtained for the $u$-channel integrated up to $-u=2.0$~(GeV/$c$)$^{2}$.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗