arXiv subjects

C. Yan

Publications and source records attributed to C. Yan.

12 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2016

Measurements of the Separated Longitudinal Structure Function F_L from Hydrogen and Deuterium Targets at Low Q^2

Structure functions, as measured in lepton-nucleon scattering, have proven to be very useful in studying the quark dynamics within the nucleon. However, it is experimentally difficult to separately determine the longitudinal and transverse structure functions, and consequently there are substantially less data available for the longitudinal structure function in particular. Here we present separated structure functions for hydrogen and deuterium at low four--momentum transfer squared, Q^2< 1 GeV^2, and compare these with parton distribution parameterizations and a k_T factorization approach. While differences are found, the parameterizations generally agree with the data even at the very low Q^2 scale of the data. The deuterium data show a smaller longitudinal structure function, and smaller ratio of longitudinal to transverse cross section R, than the proton. This suggests either an unexpected difference in R for the proton and neutron or a suppression of the gluonic distribution in nuclei.

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arXiv2014

Separated Response Functions in Exclusive, Forward $\pi^{\pm}$ Electroproduction on Deuterium

Background: Measurements of forward exclusive meson production at different squared four-momenta of the exchanged virtual photon, $Q^2$, and at different four-momentum transfer, t, can be used to probe QCD's transition from meson-nucleon degrees of freedom at long distances to quark-gluon degrees of freedom at short scales. Ratios of separated response functions in $\pi^-$ and $\pi^+$ electroproduction are particularly informative. The ratio for transverse photons may allow this transition to be more easily observed, while the ratio for longitudinal photons provides a crucial verification of the assumed pole dominance, needed for reliable extraction of the pion form factor from electroproduction data. Method: Data were acquired with 2.6-5.2 GeV electron beams and the HMS+SOS spectrometers in Jefferson Lab Hall C, at central $Q^2$ values of 0.6, 1.0, 1.6 GeV$^2$ at W=1.95 GeV, and $Q^2$=2.45 GeV$^2$ at W=2.22 GeV. There was significant coverage in $\phi$ and $\epsilon$, which allowed separation of $\sigma_{L,T,LT,TT}$. Results: $\sigma_L$ shows a clear signature of the pion pole, with a sharp rise at small -t. In contrast, $\sigma_T$ is much flatter versus t. The longitudinal/transverse ratios evolve with $Q^2$ and t, and at the highest $Q^2$=2.45 GeV$^2$ show a slight enhancement for $\pi^-$ production compared to $\pi^+$. The $\pi^-/\pi^+$ ratio for transverse photons exhibits only a small $Q^2$-dependence, following a nearly universal curve with t, with a steep transition to a value of about 0.25, consistent with s-channel quark knockout. The $\sigma_{TT}/\sigma_T$ ratio also drops rapidly with $Q^2$, qualitatively consistent with s-channel helicity conservation. The $\pi^-/\pi^+$ ratio for longitudinal photons indicates a small isoscalar contamination at W=1.95 GeV, consistent with what was observed in our earlier determination of the pion form factor at these kinematics.

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arXiv2014

Separated Response Function Ratios in Exclusive, Forward pi^{+/-} Electroproduction

The study of exclusive $\pi^{\pm}$ electroproduction on the nucleon, including separation of the various structure functions, is of interest for a number of reasons. The ratio $R_L=\sigma_L^{\pi^-}/\sigma_L^{\pi^+}$ is sensitive to isoscalar contamination to the dominant isovector pion exchange amplitude, which is the basis for the determination of the charged pion form factor from electroproduction data. A change in the value of $R_T=\sigma_T^{\pi^-}/\sigma_T^{\pi^+}$ from unity at small $-t$, to 1/4 at large $-t$, would suggest a transition from coupling to a (virtual) pion to coupling to individual quarks. Furthermore, the mentioned ratios may show an earlier approach to pQCD than the individual cross sections. We have performed the first complete separation of the four unpolarized electromagnetic structure functions above the dominant resonances in forward, exclusive $\pi^{\pm}$ electroproduction on the deuteron at central $Q^2$ values of 0.6, 1.0, 1.6 GeV$^2$ at $W$=1.95 GeV, and $Q^2=2.45$ GeV$^2$ at $W$=2.22 GeV. Here, we present the $L$ and $T$ cross sections, with emphasis on $R_L$ and $R_T$, and compare them with theoretical calculations. Results for the separated ratio $R_L$ indicate dominance of the pion-pole diagram at low $-t$, while results for $R_T$ are consistent with a transition between pion knockout and quark knockout mechanisms.

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arXiv2012

Observation of the Helium 7 Lambda hypernucleus by the (e,e'K+) reaction

An experiment with a newly developed high-resolution kaon spectrometer (HKS) and a scattered electron spectrometer with a novel configuration was performed in Hall C at Jefferson Lab (JLab). The ground state of a neutron-rich hypernucleus, He 7 Lambda, was observed for the first time with the (e,e'K+) reaction with an energy resolution of ~0.6 MeV. This resolution is the best reported to date for hypernuclear reaction spectroscopy. The he 7 Lambda binding energy supplies the last missing information of the A=7, T=1 hypernuclear iso-triplet, providing a new input for the charge symmetry breaking (CSB) effect of \Lambda N potential.

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arXiv2008

Probing Quark-Gluon Interactions with Transverse Polarized Scattering

We have extracted QCD matrix elements from our data on double polarized inelastic scattering of electrons on nuclei. We find the higher twist matrix element \tilde{d_2}, which arises strictly from quark- gluon interactions, to be unambiguously non zero. The data also reveal an isospin dependence of higher twist effects if we assume that the Burkhardt-Cottingham Sum rule is valid. The fundamental Bjorken sum rule obtained from the a0 matrix element is satisfied at our low momentum transfer.

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arXiv2008

Charged pion form factor between $Q^2$=0.60 and 2.45 GeV$^2$. I. Measurements of the cross section for the ${^1}$H($e,e'π^+$)$n$ reaction

Cross sections for the reaction ${^1}$H($e,e'π^+$)$n$ were measured in Hall C at Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility (JLab) using the CEBAF high-intensity, continous electron beam in order to determine the charged pion form factor. Data were taken for central four-momentum transfers ranging from $Q^2$=0.60 to 2.45 GeV$^2$ at an invariant mass of the virtual photon-nucleon system of $W$=1.95 and 2.22 GeV. The measured cross sections were separated into the four structure functions $σ_L$, $σ_T$, $σ_{LT}$, and $σ_{TT}$. The various parts of the experimental setup and the analysis steps are described in detail, including the calibrations and systematic studies, which were needed to obtain high precision results. The different types of systematic uncertainties are also discussed. The results for the separated cross sections as a function of the Mandelstam variable $t$ at the different values of $Q^2$ are presented. Some global features of the data are discussed, and the data are compared with the results of some model calculations for the reaction ${^1}$H($e,e'π^+$)$n$.

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arXiv2008

Charged pion form factor between Q^2=0.60 and 2.45 GeV^2. II. Determination of, and results for, the pion form factor

The charged pion form factor, Fpi(Q^2), is an important quantity which can be used to advance our knowledge of hadronic structure. However, the extraction of Fpi from data requires a model of the 1H(e,e'pi+)n reaction, and thus is inherently model dependent. Therefore, a detailed description of the extraction of the charged pion form factor from electroproduction data obtained recently at Jefferson Lab is presented, with particular focus given to the dominant uncertainties in this procedure. Results for Fpi are presented for Q^2=0.60-2.45 GeV^2. Above Q^2=1.5 GeV^2, the Fpi values are systematically below the monopole parameterization that describes the low Q^2 data used to determine the pion charge radius. The pion form factor can be calculated in a wide variety of theoretical approaches, and the experimental results are compared to a number of calculations. This comparison is helpful in understanding the role of soft versus hard contributions to hadronic structure in the intermediate Q^2 regime.

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arXiv2007

Quasifree Lambda, Sigma^0, and Sigma^- electroproduction from 1,2H, 3,4He, and carbon

Kaon electroproduction from light nuclei and hydrogen, using 1H, 2H, 3He, 4He, and Carbon targets has been measured at Jefferson Laboratory. The quasifree angular distributions of Lambda and Sigma hyperons were determined at Q^2= 0.35(GeV/c)^2 and W= 1.91GeV. Electroproduction on hydrogen was measured at the same kinematics for reference.

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arXiv2007

Proton Spin Structure in the Resonance Region

We have examined the spin structure of the proton in the region of the nucleon resonances (1.085 GeV < W < 1.910 GeV) at an average four momentum transfer of Q^2 = 1.3 GeV^2. Using the Jefferson Lab polarized electron beam, a spectrometer, and a polarized solid target, we measured the asymmetries A_parallel and A_perp to high precision, and extracted the asymmetries A_1 and A_2, and the spin structure functions g_1 and g_2. We found a notably non-zero A_perp, significant contributions from higher-twist effects, and only weak support for polarized quark--hadron duality.

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arXiv2006

Determination of the pion charge form factor for Q^2=0.60-1.60 GeV^2

The data analysis for the reaction H(e,e' pi^+)n, which was used to determine values for the charged pion form factor Fpi for values of Q^2=0.6-1.6 GeV^2, has been repeated with careful inspection of all steps and special attention to systematic uncertainties. Also the method used to extract Fpi from the measured longitudinal cross section was critically reconsidered. Final values for the separated longitudinal and transverse cross sections and the extracted values of Fpi are presented.

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arXiv2004

Hypernuclear Spectroscopy using the (e,e'K+) Reaction

A pioneering experiment in Lambda hypernuclear spectroscopy, undertaken at the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility (Jlab), was recently reported. The experiment used the high- precision, continuous electron beam at Jlab, and a special arrangement of spectrometer magnets to measure the spectrum from {nat}C and 7Li targets using the (e,e' K+)reaction. The 12B hypernuclear spectrum was previously published. This experiment is now reported in more detail, with improved results for the 12B hypernuclear spectrum. In addition, unpublished results of the 7He hypernuclear spectrum are also shown. This later spectrum indicates the need for a more detailed few-body calculation of the hypernucleus and the reaction process. The success of this experiment demonstrates that the (e,e'K+) reaction can be effectively used as a high resolution tool to study hypernuclear spectra, ant its use should be vigorously pursued.

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arXiv2001

x- and xi-scaling of the Nuclear Structure Function at Large x

Inclusive electron scattering data are presented for ^2H and Fe targets at an incident electron energy of 4.045 GeV for a range of momentum transfers from Q^2 = 1 to 7 (GeV/c)^2. Data were taken at Jefferson Laboratory for low values of energy loss, corresponding to values of Bjorken x greater than or near 1. The structure functions do not show scaling in x in this range, where inelastic scattering is not expected to dominate the cross section. The data do show scaling, however, in the Nachtmann variable \xi. This scaling may be the result of Bloom Gilman duality in the nucleon structure function combined with the Fermi motion of the nucleons in the nucleus. The resulting extension of scaling to larger values of \xi opens up the possibility of accessing nuclear structure functions in the high-x region at lower values of Q^2 than previously believed.

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