arXiv subjects

A. N. Hiller Blin

Publications and source records attributed to A. N. Hiller Blin.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2025

Inclusive Electron Scattering in the Resonance Region off a Hydrogen Target with CLAS12

Inclusive electron scattering cross sections off a hydrogen target at a beam energy of 10.6 GeV have been measured with data collected from the CLAS12 spectrometer at Jefferson Laboratory. These first absolute cross sections from CLAS12 cover a wide kinematic area in invariant mass W of the final state hadrons from the pion threshold up to 2.5 GeV for each bin in virtual photon four-momentum transfer squared $Q^2$ from 2.55 to 10.4~GeV$^2$ owing to the large scattering angle acceptance of the CLAS12 detector. Comparison of the cross sections with the resonant contributions computed from the CLAS results on the nucleon resonance electroexcitation amplitudes has demonstrated a promising opportunity to extend the information on their $Q^2$ evolution up to 10 GeV$^2$. Together these results from CLAS and CLAS12 offer good prospects for probing the nucleon parton distributions at large fractional parton momenta $x$ for $W$ < 2.5 GeV, while covering the range of distances where the transition from the strongly coupled to the perturbative regimes is expected.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2023

Dynamics in near-threshold $J/ψ$ photoproduction

The study of $J/ψ$ photoproduction at low energies has consequences for the understanding of multiple aspects of nonperturbative QCD, ranging from mechanical properties of the proton, to the binding inside nuclei, and the existence of hidden-charm pentaquarks. Factorization of the photon-$c \bar c$ and nucleon dynamics or Vector Meson Dominance are often invoked to justify these studies. Alternatively, open charm intermediate states have been proposed as the dominant mechanism underlying $J/ψ$ photoproduction. As the latter violates this factorization, it is important to estimate the relevance of such contributions. We analyse the latest differential and integrated photoproduction cross sections from the GlueX and $J/ψ$-007 experiments. We show that the data can be adequately described by a small number of partial waves, which we parameterize with generic models enforcing low-energy unitarity. The results suggest a nonnegligible contribution from open charm intermediate states. Furthermore, most of the models present an elastic scattering length incompatible with previous extractions based on Vector Meson Dominance, and thus call into question its applicability to heavy mesons. Our results indicate a wide array of physics possibilities that are compatible with present data and need to be disentangled.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2023

Toward a generative modeling analysis of CLAS exclusive $2π$ photoproduction

AI-supported algorithms, particularly generative models, have been successfully used in a variety of different contexts. In this work, we demonstrate for the first time that generative adversarial networks (GANs) can be used in high-energy experimental physics to unfold detector effects from multi-particle final states, while preserving correlations between kinematic variables in multidimensional phase space. We perform a full closure test on two-pion photoproduction pseudodata generated with a realistic model in the kinematics of the Jefferson Lab CLAS g11 experiment. The overlap of different reaction mechanisms leading to the same final state associated with the CLAS detector's nontrivial effects represents an ideal test case for AI-supported analysis. Uncertainty quantification performed via bootstrap provides an estimate of the systematic uncertainty associated with the procedure. The test demonstrates that GANs can reproduce highly correlated multidifferential cross sections even in the presence of detector-induced distortions in the training datasets, and provides a solid basis for applying the framework to real experimental data.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2023

First Results on Nucleon Resonance Electroexcitation Amplitudes from $ep\to e'π^+π^-p'$ Cross Sections at $W$ from 1.4-1.7 GeV and $Q^2$ from 2.0-5.0 GeV$^2$

The electroexcitation amplitudes or $γ_vpN^*$ electrocouplings of the $N(1440)1/2^+$, $N(1520)3/2^-$, and $Δ(1600)3/2^+$ resonances were obtained for the first time from the $ep \to e'π^+π^-p'$ differential cross sections measured with the CLAS detector at Jefferson Lab within the range of invariant mass $W$ of the final state hadrons from 1.4--1.7 GeV for photon virtualities $Q^2$ from 2.0--5.0 GeV$^2$. The electrocouplings were determined in independent fits of the $π^+π^-p$ cross sections within three overlapping $W$ intervals with a substantial contribution from each of the three resonances listed above. Consistent results on the electrocouplings extracted from the data in these $W$ intervals provide evidence for their reliable extraction. These studies extend information on the electrocouplings of the $N(1440)1/2^+$ and $N(1520)3/2^-$ available from this channel over a broader range of $Q^2$. The electrocouplings of the $Δ(1600)3/2^+$, which decays preferentially into $ππN$ final states, have been determined for the first time. Our results provide further evidence for the structure of these resonances in terms of an interplay between the inner core of three dressed quarks and an external meson-baryon cloud.

nucl-ex↗

arXiv2023

Resonant contributions to polarized proton structure functions

Nucleon resonance contributions to the polarized proton $g_1$ and $g_2$ structure functions are computed from resonance electroexcitation amplitudes extracted from CLAS exclusive meson electroproduction data. Including resonances in the mass range up to 1.75 GeV, and taking into account the interference between excited states, we compare the resonant contributions with the polarized proton structure function and polarization asymmetry data from Jefferson Lab 6 GeV measurements. All resonance-like structure observed in the polarized structure functions and asymmetries can be attributed to the resonant contributions, confirming their essential role in the behavior of $g_1$ and $g_2$ in the resonant region over the entire range $Q^2 < 7.5$ GeV$^2$ covered by the measurements. Comparing the resonance contributions with the $g_1$ and $g_2$ structure functions computed from parton distribution functions extrapolated from the deep-inelastic region, we also quantify the degree to which quark-hadron duality holds for $g_1$ and $g_2$ and their moments.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2023

Polarized proton structure in the resonance region

In view of the precise data available on inclusive polarized electron scattering off polarized proton targets in the nucleon resonance excitation region, we compare these results with the coherent sum of resonant contributions to the polarized structure function $g_1$ and virtual photon asymmetry $A_1$. To this goal, we employ the nucleon resonance electroexcitation amplitudes determined for photon virtualities $Q^2$ $<$ 5.0 GeV$^2$ from analyses of the CLAS data on exclusive electroproduction off protons in the resonance region. Most of the well established resonances of four star PDG status in the mass range up to 1.75~GeV are included. We find that the resonance-like structures observed in the inclusive $g_1$ data are related to the resonant contributions in the entire range of photon virtuality $Q^2$ where the data on $g_1$ are available. In the range of invariant mass of the final hadron system $W$ $>$ 1.5 GeV, the data on the asymmetry $A_1$ are well reproduced even when accounting for resonant contributions only, especially for the larger values of $Q^2$ and energies analysed. This observation offers an interesting hint to quark-hadron duality seen in polarized inclusive electron scattering observables.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2022

XYZ spectroscopy at electron-hadron facilities II: Semi-inclusive processes with pion exchange

Semi-inclusive processes are very promising to investigate $XYZ$ hadrons at the next generation of electron-hadron facilities, because they generally boast higher cross sections. We extend our formalism of exclusive photoproduction to semi-inclusive final states. The inclusive production cross sections for charged axial-vector $Z$ states from pion exchange are predicted. We isolate the contribution of $Δ$ resonances at small missing mass. Production near threshold is shown to be enhanced roughly by a factor of two compared to the exclusive reaction. We benchmark the model with data of semi-inclusive $b_1^\pm$ production.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2022

Machine learning-based event generator for electron-proton scattering

We present a new machine learning-based Monte Carlo event generator using generative adversarial networks (GANs) that can be trained with calibrated detector simulations to construct a vertex-level event generator free of theoretical assumptions about femtometer scale physics. Our framework includes a GAN-based detector folding as a fast-surrogate model that mimics detector simulators. The framework is tested and validated on simulated inclusive deep-inelastic scattering data along with existing parametrizations for detector simulation, with uncertainty quantification based on a statistical bootstrapping technique. Our results provide for the first time a realistic proof-of-concept to mitigate theory bias in inferring vertex-level event distributions needed to reconstruct physical observables.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2021

$π^-p\toη^{(\prime)}\, π^- p$ in the double-Regge region

The production of $η^{(\prime)}π$ pairs constitutes one of the golden channels to search for hybrid exotics, with explicit gluonic degrees of freedom. Understanding the dynamics and backgrounds associated to $η^{(\prime)}π$ production above the resonance region is required to impose additional constraints to the resonance extraction. We consider the reaction $π^-p\to η^{(\prime)} π^- \,p$ measured by COMPASS. We show that the data in $2.4 < m_{η^{(\prime)}π} < 3.0$ GeV can be described by amplitudes based on double-Regge exchanges. The angular distribution of the meson pairs, in particular in the $η' π$ channel, can be attributed to flavor singlet exchanges, suggesting the presence of a large gluon content that couples strongly to the produced mesons.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2021

Resonant contributions to inclusive nucleon structure functions from exclusive meson electroproduction data

Nucleon resonance contributions to the inclusive proton $F_2$ and $F_L$ structure functions are computed from resonance electroexcitation amplitudes in the mass range up to 1.75 GeV extracted from CLAS exclusive meson electroproduction data. Taking into account for the first time quantum interference effects, the resonance contributions are compared with inclusive proton structure functions evaluated from $(e,e'X)$ cross section data and the longitudinal to transverse cross section ratio. Contributions from isospin-1/2 and 3/2 resonances remain substantial over the entire range of photon virtualities $Q^2 \lesssim 4$ GeV$^2$, where their electroexcitation amplitudes have been obtained, and their $Q^2$ evolution displays pronounced differences in the first, second and third resonance regions. We compare the structure functions in the resonance region with those computed from parton distributions fitted to deep-inelastic scattering data, and extrapolated to the resonance region, providing new quantitative assessments of quark-hadron duality in inclusive electron-proton scattering.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2020

XYZ spectroscopy at electron-hadron facilities: Exclusive processes

The next generation of electron-hadron facilities has the potential for significantly improving our understanding of exotic hadrons. The XYZ states have not been seen in photon-induced reactions so far. Their observation in such processes would provide an independent confirmation of their existence and offer new insights into their internal structure. Based on the known experimental data and the well-established quarkonium and Regge phenomenology, we give estimates for the exclusive cross sections of several XYZ states. For energies near threshold we expect cross sections of few nanobarns for the Zc(3900)+ and upwards of tens of nanobarn for the X(3872), which are well within reach of new facilities.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2020

QCD2019 Workshop Summary

The topical workshop {\it Strong QCD from Hadron Structure Experiments} took place at Jefferson Lab from Nov. 6-9, 2019. Impressive progress in relating hadron structure observables to the strong QCD mechanisms has been achieved from the {\it ab initio} QCD description of hadron structure in a diverse array of methods in order to expose emergent phenomena via quasi-particle formation. The wealth of experimental data and the advances in hadron structure theory make it possible to gain insight into strong interaction dynamics in the regime of large quark-gluon coupling (the strong QCD regime), which will address the most challenging problems of the Standard Model on the nature of the dominant part of hadron mass, quark-gluon confinement, and the emergence of the ground and excited state hadrons, as well as atomic nuclei, from QCD. This workshop aimed to develop plans and to facilitate the future synergistic efforts between experimentalists, phenomenologists, and theorists working on studies of hadron spectroscopy and structure with the goal to connect the properties of hadrons and atomic nuclei available from data to the strong QCD dynamics underlying their emergence from QCD. These results pave the way for a future breakthrough extension in the studies of QCD with an Electron-Ion Collider in the U.S.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2020

$ω\to 3π$ and $ωπ^{0}$ transition form factor revisited

In light of recent experimental results, we revisit the dispersive analysis of the $ω\to 3π$ decay amplitude and of the $ωπ^0$ transition form factor. Within the framework of the Khuri-Treiman equations, we show that the $ω\to 3π$ Dalitz-plot parameters obtained with a once-subtracted amplitude are in agreement with the latest experimental determination by BESIII. Furthermore, we show that at low energies the $ωπ^0$ transition form factor obtained from our determination of the $ω\to 3π$ amplitude is consistent with the data from MAMI and NA60 experiments.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2019

Nucleon resonance contributions to unpolarised inclusive electron scattering

The first CLAS12 experiments will provide high-precision data on inclusive electron scattering observables at a photon virtuality $Q^2$ ranging from 0.05 GeV$^2$ to 12 GeV$^2$ and center-of-mass energies $W$ up to 4 GeV. In view of this endeavour, we present the modeling of the resonant contributions to the inclusive electron scattering observables. As input, we use the existing CLAS electrocoupling results obtained from exclusive meson electroproduction data off protons, and evaluate for the first time the resonant contributions based on the experimental results on the nucleon resonance electroexcitation. The uncertainties are given by the data and duly propagated through a Monte Carlo approach. In this way, we obtain estimates for the resonant contributions, important for insight into the nucleon parton distributions in the resonance region and for the studies of quark-hadron duality.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2018

Structure of Pion Photoproduction Amplitudes

We derive and apply the finite energy sum rules to pion photoproduction. We evaluate the low energy part of the sum rules using several state-of-the-art models. We show how the differences in the low energy side of the sum rules might originate from different quantum number assignments of baryon resonances. We interpret the observed features in the low energy side of the sum rules with the expectation from Regge theory. Finally, we present a model, in terms of a Regge-pole expansion, that matches the sum rules and the high-energy observables.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2018

Global analysis of charge exchange meson production at high energies

Many experiments that are conducted to study the hadron spectrum rely on peripheral resonance production. Hereby, the rapidity gap allows the process to be viewed as an independent fragmen- tation of the beam and the target, with the beam fragmentation dominated by production and decays of meson resonances. We test this separation by determining the kinematic regimes that are dominated by factorizable contributions, indicating the most favorable regions to perform this kind of experiments. In doing so, we use a Regge model to analyze the available world data of charge exchange meson production with beam momentum above 5 GeV in the laboratory frame, that are not dominated by either pion or Pomeron exchanges. We determine the Regge residues and point out the kinematic regimes which are dominated by factorizable contributions.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2017

Finite-Energy Sum Rules in Eta Photoproduction off the Nucleon

The reaction $γN \to ηN$ is studied in the high-energy regime (with photon lab energies $E_γ^{\textrm{lab}} > 4$ GeV) using information from the resonance region through the use of finite-energy sum rules (FESR). We illustrate how analyticity allows one to map the t-dependence of the unknown Regge residue functions. We provide predictions for the energy dependence of the beam asymmetry at high energies.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2017

$ϕ$ meson transparency in nuclei from $ϕN$ resonant interactions

We investigate the $ϕ$ meson nuclear transparency using some recent theoretical developments on the $ϕ$ in medium self-energy. The inclusion of direct resonant $ϕN$-scattering and the kaon decay mechanisms leads to a $ϕ$ width much larger than in most previous theoretical approaches. The model has been confronted with photoproduction data from CLAS and LEPS and the recent proton induced $ϕ$ production from COSY finding an overall good agreement. The results support the need of a quite large direct $ϕN$-scattering contribution to the self-energy.

nucl-th↗