First Results on Nucleon Resonance Electroexcitation Amplitudes from $ep \to e'\pi^+\pi^-p'$ Cross Sections at $W$ from $1.56-1.76$ GeV and $Q^2$ from $2.0-5.0$ GeV$^2$

Abstract

The first results on the electroexcitation amplitudes or the $\gamma_vpN^*$ electrocouplings for nucleon resonances ($N^*$s) in the third resonance region are presented. They were obtained from $\pi^+\pi^-p$ electroproduction differential cross sections measured with the CLAS detector and analyzed using the Jefferson Lab-Moscow State University (JM) reaction model. The analysis covers the invariant mass range of the final-state hadrons $W$ from 1.56 to 1.76~GeV and virtual photon four-momentum squared $Q^2$ from 2.0 to 5.0~GeV$^2$. Consistent results on the electroexcitation amplitudes of the $N(1675)5/2^-$ and $N(1680)5/2^+$ obtained from independent analyses of both $\pi N$ and $\pi^+\pi^-p$ final states, demonstrate the capability of reaction models to extract the $\gamma_v p N^*$ electrocouplings for $N^*$s in the third resonance region. Also, for the first time, the electrocouplings of the $\Delta(1700)3/2^-$ and $N(1720)3/2^+$, which predominantly decay into $\pi\pi N$ final states, have become available for $Q^2 > 2.0$~GeV$^2$. Finally, contributions from a new $N'(1720)3/2^+$ baryon state to the $\pi^+\pi^-p$ differential cross sections have been observed for $Q^2 < 5.0$~GeV$^2$. The new results on resonance electrocouplings in the third resonance region offer new opportunities to explore various aspects of the strong QCD regime responsible for the generation of nucleon excited states, in particular, shedding light on the emergence of hadron mass in connection with dynamical chiral symmetry breaking.