Beam Asymmetries ($\Sigma$) for $\pi^0$, $\eta$ and $\eta'$ in Photoproduction at GlueX

Abstract

The GlueX experiment is a photoproduction experiment located at Thomas Jefferson National Lab in Newport News, Virginia. GlueX is capable of making beam asymmetry ($\Sigma$) measurements using a tagged, linearly-polarized 9 GeV photon beam incident on a hydrogen target. Measurements of the beam asymmetry for the exclusive reactions $\gamma p \rightarrow \pi^0 p$, $\gamma p \rightarrow \eta p$ and $\gamma p \rightarrow \eta' p$ will provide insight into the meson production mechanisms. GlueX measurements are the first beam asymmetry results for the $\eta$ and $\eta'$ in this energy range and are expected to further constrain Regge theory models for photoproduced pseudoscalar mesons. This talk will present preliminary results of the photon beam asymmetries as a function of the Mandelstam variable, t, for multiple $\eta$ decay modes and the $\eta'\rightarrow\pi^+\pi^-\eta$ decay mode.