Hadron Spectroscopy at Jefferson Lab

Abstract

Hadron spectroscopy experiments provide crucial data to help understand the binding of quarks and gluons into hadrons. Currently, we are specially interested in the role that gluons play in these structures, knowing its importance in providing most of the nucleon?s mass and spin. Two experiments, GlueX (in Hall D) and CLAS12 (in Hall B), are using the Jefferson Lab?s 12-GeV electron beam to extend these measurements to higher masses and to collect very large statistics. GlueX uses a beam of linearly polarized photons using the technique of coherent bremsstrahlung (peaking polarization about 8.6 GeV). The MesonEX experiment at CLAS12 uses a quasi-real photon beam at equivalent energies and polarizations (using very low Q2 electron scattering). The data taken by those experiments will exceed by several orders of magnitude all previously obtained photoproduction data at those energies. We will report on the first results (beam asymmetries and J/ psi production) and current status on the search for hybrid mesons at GlueX. We will also discuss preliminary results from the CLAS12-MesonEX experiment from its first physics run.