arXiv subjects

L. Elouadrhiri

Publications and source records attributed to L. Elouadrhiri.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

arXiv2021

An experimental program with high duty-cycle polarized and unpolarized positron beams at Jefferson Lab

Positron beams, both polarized and unpolarized, are identified as essential ingredients for the experimental programs at the next generation of lepton accelerators. In the context of the hadronic physics program at Jefferson Lab (JLab), positron beams are complementary, even essential, tools for a precise understanding of the electromagnetic structure of nucleons and nuclei, in both the elastic and deep-inelastic regimes. For instance, elastic scattering of polarized and unpolarized electrons and positrons from the nucleon enables a model independent determination of its electromagnetic form factors. Also, the deeply-virtual scattering of polarized and unpolarized electrons and positrons allows unambiguous separation of the different contributions to the cross section of the lepto-production of photons and of lepton-pairs, enabling an accurate determination of the nucleons and nuclei generalized parton distributions, and providing an access to the gravitational form factors. Furthermore, positron beams offer the possibility of alternative tests of the Standard Model of particle physics through the search of a dark photon, the precise measurement of electroweak couplings, and the investigation of charged lepton flavor violation. This document discusses the perspectives of an experimental program with high duty-cycle positron beams at JLab.

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arXiv2021

Determination of shear forces inside the proton

We report on the first determination of the shear forces quarks inside the proton from experimental data on deeply virtual Compton scattering. The maximum shear force of approximately 40 MeV/fm occurs near 0.6 fm from the proton center, indicating where confinement forces may be strongest. On the macroscopic scale of the earth surface, this force corresponds to the weight of a mass of about 650 kg. The shear forces in the proton reverse direction at r = 0.45 fm from the center.

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arXiv2021

Observation of Beam Spin Asymmetries in the Process $e p \rightarrow e π^{+}π^{-}X$ with CLAS12

The observation of beam spin asymmetries in two-pion production in semi-inclusive deep inelastic scattering off an unpolarized proton target is reported. The data presented here were taken in the fall of 2018 with the CLAS12 spectrometer using a 10.6 GeV longitudinally spin-polarized electron beam delivered by CEBAF at JLab. The measured asymmetries provide the first opportunity to extract the parton distribution function $e(x)$, which provides information about the interaction between gluons and quarks, in a collinear framework that offers cleaner access than previous measurements. The asymmetries also constitute the first ever signal sensitive to the helicity-dependent two-pion fragmentation function $G_1^\perp$. A clear sign change is observed around the $ρ$ mass that appears in model calculations and is indicative of the dependence of the produced pions on the helicity of the fragmenting quark.

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arXiv2021

Beam charge asymmetries for deeply virtual Compton scattering off the proton

The unpolarized and polarized Beam Char\-ge Asymmetries (BCAs) of the $\vv{e}^{\pm}p \to e^{\pm}p γ$ process off unpolarized hydrogen are discussed. The measurement of BCAs with the CLAS12 spectrometer at the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility, using polarized positron and electron beams at 10.6 GeV is investigated. This experimental configuration allows to measure azimuthal and $t$-dependences of the unpolarized and polarized BCAs over a large $(x_B,Q^2)$ phase space, providing a direct access to the real part of the Compton Form Factor (CFF) ${\mathcal H}$. Additionally, these measurements confront the Bethe-Heitler dominance hypothesis and eventual effects beyond leading twist. The impact of potential positron beam data on the determination of CFFs is also investigated within a local fitting approach of experimental observables. Positron data are shown to strongly reduce correlations between CFFs and consequently improve significantly the determination of $\Re {\rm e} [\mathcal{H}]$.

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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.

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arXiv2020

Evidence for the $N'(1720)3/2^+$ Nucleon Resonance from Combined Studies of CLAS $π^+π^-p$ Photo- and Electroproduction Data

The analysis of the nine 1-fold differential cross sections for the $γ_{r,v} p \to π^+π^-p$ photo- and electroproduction reactions obtained with the CLAS detector at Jefferson Laboratory was carried out with the goal to establish the contributing resonances in the mass range from 1.6~GeV to 1.8~GeV. In order to describe the photo- and electroproduction data with $Q^2$-independent resonance masses and hadronic decay widths in the $Q^2$ range below 1.5~GeV$^2$, it was found that an $N'(1720)3/2^+$ state is required in addition to the already well-established nucleon resonances. This work demonstrates that the combined studies of $π^+π^-p$ photo- and electroproduction data are vital for the observation of this resonance. The contributions from the $N'(1720)3/2^+$ state and the already established $N(1720)3/2^+$ state with a mass of 1.745~GeV are well separated by their different hadronic decays to the $πΔ$ and $ρp$ final states and the different $Q^2$-evolution of their photo-/electroexcitation amplitudes. The $N'(1720)3/2^+$ state is the first recently established baryon resonance for which the results on the $Q^2$-evolution of the photo-/electrocouplings have become available. These results are important for the exploration of the nature of the ``missing'' baryon resonances.

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arXiv2019

Physics with Positron Beams at Jefferson Lab 12 GeV

Positron beams, both polarized and unpolarized, are identified as essential ingredients for the experimental program at the next generation of lepton accelerators. In the context of the Hadronic Physics program at the Jefferson Laboratory (JLab), positron beams are complementary, even essential, tools for a precise understanding of the electromagnetic structure of the nucleon, in both the elastic and the deep-inelastic regimes. For instance, elastic scattering of (un)polarized electrons and positrons off the nucleon allows for a model independent determination of the electromagnetic form factors of the nucleon. Also, the deeply virtual Compton scattering of (un)polarized electrons and positrons allows us to separate unambiguously the different contributions to the cross section of the lepto-production of photons, enabling an accurate determination of the nucleon Generalized Parton Distributions (GPDs), and providing an access to its Gravitational Form Factors. Furthermore, positron beams offer the possibility of alternative tests of the Standard Model through the search of a dark photon or the precise measurement of electroweak couplings. This letter proposes to develop an experimental positron program at JLab to perform unique high impact measurements with respect to the two-photon exchange problem, the determination of the proton and the neutron GPDs, and the search for the $A^{\prime}$ dark photon.

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arXiv2018

Search for a Dark Photon in Electro-Produced $e^{+}e^{-}$ Pairs with the Heavy Photon Search Experiment at JLab

The Heavy Photon Search experiment took its first data in a 2015 engineering run using a 1.056 GeV, 50 nA electron beam provided by CEBAF at the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility, searching for an electro-produced dark photon. Using 1.7 days (1170 nb$^{-1}$) of data, a search for a resonance in the $e^{+}e^{-}$ invariant mass distribution between 19 and 81 MeV/c$^2$ showed no evidence of dark photon decays above the large QED background, confirming earlier searches and demonstrating the full functionality of the experiment. Upper limits on the square of the coupling of the dark photon to the Standard Model photon are set at the level of 6$\times10^{-6}$. In addition, a search for displaced dark photon decays did not rule out any territory but resulted in a reliable analysis procedure that will probe hitherto unexplored parameter space with future, higher luminosity runs.

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arXiv2018

First results on nucleon resonance photocouplings from the $γp \to π^+π^-p$ reaction

We report the first experimental measurements of the nine 1-fold differential cross sections for the $γp \to π^+π^-p$ reaction, obtained with the CLAS detector at Jefferson Laboratory. The measurements cover the invariant mass range of the final state hadrons from 1.6~GeV~$<W<$~2.0~GeV. For the first time the photocouplings of all prominent nucleon resonances in this mass range have been extracted from this exclusive channel. Photoproduction of two charged pions is of particular importance for the evaluation of the photocouplings for the $Δ(1620)1/2^-$, $Δ(1700)3/2^-$, $N(1720)3/2^+$, and $Δ(1905)5/2^+$ resonances, which have dominant decays into the $ππN$ final states rather than the more extensively studied single meson decay channels.

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arXiv2018

Measurement of Unpolarized and Polarized Cross Sections for Deeply Virtual Compton Scattering on the Proton at Jefferson Laboratory with CLAS

This paper reports the measurement of polarized and unpolarized cross sections for the ep -> e'p' reaction, which is comprised of Deeply Virtual Compton Scattering (DVCS) and Bethe-Heitler (BH) processes, at an electron beam energy of 5.88 GeV at the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility using the Large Acceptance Spectrometer CLAS. The unpolarized cross sections and polarized cross section differences have been measured over broad kinematics, 0.10 < x_B < 0.58, 1.0 < Q^2 < 4.8 GeV^2, and 0.09 < -t < 2.00 GeV^2. The results are found to be consistent with previous CLAS data, and these new data are discussed in the framework of the generalized parton distribution approach. Calculations with two widely used phenomenological models, denoted VGG and KMSC, are approximately compatible with the experimental results over a large portion of the kinematic range of the data.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2018

Search for a Dark Photon in Electro-Produced $e^{+}e^{-}$ Pairs with the Heavy Photon Search Experiment at JLab

The Heavy Photon Search experiment took its first data in a 2015 engineering run at the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility, searching for a prompt, electro-produced dark photon with a mass between 19 and 81 MeV/$c^2$. A search for a resonance in the $e^{+}e^{-}$ invariant mass distribution, using 1.7 days (1170 nb$^{-1}$) of data, showed no evidence of dark photon decays above the large QED background, confirming earlier searches and demonstrating the full functionality of the experiment. Upper limits on the square of the coupling of the dark photon to the Standard Model photon are set at the level of 6$\times10^{-6}$. Future runs with higher luminosity will explore new territory.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2018

Measurement of the beam asymmetry $Σ$ and the target asymmetry $T$ in the photoproduction of $ω$ mesons off the proton using CLAS at Jefferson Laboratory

The photoproduction of $ω$ mesons off the proton has been studied in the reaction $γp\to p\,ω$ using the CEBAF Large Acceptance Spectrometer (CLAS) and the frozen-spin target (FROST) in Hall B at the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility. For the first time, the target asymmetry, $T$, has been measured in photoproduction from the decay $ω\toπ^+π^-π^0$, using a transversely-polarized target with energies ranging from just above the reaction threshold up to 2.8 GeV. Significant non-zero values are observed for these asymmetries, reaching about 30-40% in the third-resonance region. New measurements for the photon-beam asymmetry, $Σ$, are also presented, which agree well with previous CLAS results and extend the world database up to 2.1 GeV. These data and additional $ω$-photoproduction observables from CLAS were included in a partial-wave analysis within the Bonn-Gatchina framework. Significant contributions from $s$-channel resonance production were found in addition to $t$-channel exchange processes.

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arXiv2018

Semi-Inclusive $π_0$ target and beam-target asymmetries from 6 GeV electron scattering with CLAS

We present precision measurements of the target and beam-target spin asymmetries from neutral pion electroproduction in deep-inelastic scattering (DIS) using the CEBAF Large Acceptance Spectrometer (CLAS) at Jefferson Lab. We scattered 6-GeV, longitudinally polarized electrons off longitudinally polarized protons in a cryogenic $^{14}$NH$_3$ target, and extracted double and single target spin asymmetries for $ep\rightarrow e^\primeπ^0X$ in multidimensional bins in four-momentum transfer ($1.0<Q^2<3.2$ GeV$^2$), Bjorken-$x$ ($0.12<x<0.48$), hadron energy fraction ($0.4<z<0.7$), transverse pion momentum ($0<P_T<1.0$ GeV), and azimuthal angle $ϕ_h$ between the lepton scattering and hadron production planes. We extracted asymmetries as a function of both $x$ and $P_T$, which provide access to transverse-momentum distributions of longitudinally polarized quarks. The double spin asymmetries depend weakly on $P_T$. The $\sin 2ϕ_h$ moments are zero within uncertainties, which is consistent with the expected suppression of the Collins fragmentation function. The observed $\sinϕ_h$ moments suggest that quark gluon correlations are significant at large $x$.

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arXiv2017

First Exclusive Measurement of Deeply Virtual Compton Scattering off $^4$He: Toward the 3D Tomography of Nuclei

We report on the first measurement of the beam-spin asymmetry in the exclusive process of coherent deeply virtual Compton scattering off a nucleus. The experiment used the 6 GeV electron beam from the CEBAF accelerator at Jefferson Lab incident on a pressurized $^4$He gaseous target placed in front of the CEBAF Large Acceptance Spectrometer (CLAS). The scattered electron was detected by CLAS and the photon by a dedicated electromagnetic calorimeter at forward angles. To ensure the exclusivity of the process, a specially designed radial time projection chamber was used to detect the recoiling $^4$He nuclei. We measured beam-spin asymmetries larger than those observed on the free proton in the same kinematic domain. From these, we were able to extract, in a model-independent way, the real and imaginary parts of the only $^4$He Compton form factor, $\cal H_A$. This first measurement of coherent deeply virtual Compton scattering on the $^4$He nucleus, with a fully exclusive final state via nuclear recoil tagging, leads the way toward 3D imaging of the partonic structure of nuclei.

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arXiv2017

The Beam-Target Helicity Asymmetry for $\vecγ \vec{n} \rightarrow π^- p$ in the {\bf{$N^*$} Resonance Region

We report the first beam-target double-polarization asymmetries in the $γ+ n(p) \rightarrow π^- + p(p)$ reaction spanning the nucleon resonance region from invariant mass $W$= $1500$ to $2300$ MeV. Circularly polarized photons and longitudinally polarized deuterons in $H\!D$ have been used with the CLAS detector at Jefferson Lab. The exclusive final state has been extracted using three very different analyses that show excellent agreement, and these have been used to deduce the {\it{E}} polarization observable for an effective neutron target. These results have been incorporated into new partial wave analyses, and have led to significant revisions for several $γnN^*$ resonance photo-couplings.

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arXiv2017

Exclusive $η$ electroproduction at $W>2$ GeV with CLAS and transversity generalized parton distributions

The cross section of the exclusive $η$ electroproduction reaction $ep\to e^\prime p^\prime η$ was measured at Jefferson Lab with a 5.75-GeV electron beam and the CLAS detector. Differential cross sections $d^4σ/dtdQ^2dx_Bdϕ_η$ and structure functions $σ_U = σ_T+εσ_L, σ_{TT}$ and $σ_{LT}$, as functions of $t$ were obtained over a wide range of $Q^2$ and $x_B$. The $η$ structure functions are compared with those previously measured for $π^0$ at the same kinematics. At low $t$, both $π^0$ and $η$ are described reasonably well by generalized parton distributions (GPDs) in which chiral-odd transversity GPDs are dominant. The $π^0$ and $η$ data, when taken together, can facilitate the flavor decomposition of the transversity GPDs.

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arXiv2017

Photon beam asymmetry $Σ$ for $η$ and $η^\prime$ photoproduction from the proton

Measurements of the linearly-polarized photon beam asymmetry $Σ$ for photoproduction from the proton of $η$ and $η^\prime$ mesons are reported. A linearly-polarized tagged photon beam produced by coherent bremsstrahlung was incident on a cryogenic hydrogen target within the CEBAF Large Acceptance Spectrometer. Results are presented for the $γp \to ηp$ reaction for incident photon energies from 1.070 to 1.876 GeV, and from 1.516 to 1.836 GeV for the $γp \to η^\prime p$ reaction. For $γp \to ηp$, the data reported here considerably extend the range of measurements to higher energies, and are consistent with the few previously published measurements for this observable near threshold. For $γp \to η^\prime p$, the results obtained are consistent with the few previously published measurements for this observable near threshold, but also greatly expand the incident photon energy coverage for that reaction. Initial analysis of the data reported here with the Bonn-Gatchina model strengthens the evidence for four nucleon resonances -- the $N(1895)1/2^-$, $N(1900)3/2^+$, $N(2100)1/2^+$ and $N(2120)3/2^-$ resonances -- which presently lack the "four-star" status in the current Particle Data Group compilation, providing examples of how these new measurements help refine models of the photoproduction process.

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arXiv2016

Target and beam-target spin asymmetries in exclusive pion electroproduction for $Q^2>1$ GeV$^2$. II. $e p \rightarrow e π^0 p$

Beam-target double-spin asymmetries and target single-spin asymmetries were measured for the exclusive $π^0$ electroproduction reaction $γ^* p \to p π^0$, expanding an analysis of the $γ^* p \to n π^+$ reaction from the same experiment. The results were obtained from scattering of 6 GeV longitudinally polarized electrons off longitudinally polarized protons using the CEBAF Large Acceptance Spectrometer at Jefferson Lab. The kinematic range covered is $1.1<W<3$ GeV and $1<Q^2<6$ GeV$^2$. Results were obtained for about 5700 bins in $W$, $Q^2$, \cthcm, and $ϕ^*$. The beam-target asymmetries were found to generally be greater than zero, with relatively modest \phicmsp dependence. The target asymmetries exhibit very strong \phicmsp dependence, with a change in sign occurring between results at low $W$ and high $W$, in contrast to $π^+$ electroproduction. Reasonable agreement is found with phenomenological fits to previous data for $W<1.6$ GeV, but significant differences are seen at higher $W$. When combined with cross section measurements, as well as $π^+$ observables, the present results will provide powerful constraints on nucleon resonance amplitudes at moderate and large values of $Q^2$, for resonances with masses as high as 2.4 GeV.

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