arXiv subjects

M. Thiel

Publications and source records attributed to M. Thiel.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources

arXiv2015

Measurements of Double-Polarized Compton Scattering Asymmetries and Extraction of the Proton Spin Polarizabilities

The spin polarizabilities of the nucleon describe how the spin of the nucleon responds to an incident polarized photon. The most model-independent way to measure the nucleon spin polarizabilities is through polarized Compton scattering. Double-polarized Compton scattering asymmetries on the proton were measured in the $Δ(1232)$ region using circularly polarized incident photons and a transversely polarized proton target at the Mainz Microtron. Fits to asymmetry data were performed using a dispersion model calculation and a baryon chiral perturbation theory calculation, and a separation of all four proton spin polarizabilities in the multipole basis was achieved. The analysis based on a dispersion model calculation yields $γ_{E1E1} = -3.5 \pm 1.2$, $γ_{M1M1}= 3.16 \pm 0.85$, $γ_{E1M2} = -0.7 \pm 1.2$, and $γ_{M1E2} = 1.99 \pm 0.29$, in units of $10^{-4}$ fm$^4$.

nucl-ex↗

arXiv2015

A new measurement of the neutron detection efficiency for the NaI Crystal Ball detector

We report on a measurement of the neutron detection efficiency in NaI crystals in the Crystal Ball detector obtained from a study of single p0 photoproduction on deuterium using the tagged photon beam at the Mainz Microtron. The results were obtained up to a neutron energy of 400 MeV. They are compared to previous measurements made more than 15 years ago at the pion beam at the BNL AGS.

physics.ins-det↗

arXiv2015

Fast Frontend Electronics for high luminosity particle detectors

Future experiments of nuclear and particle physics are moving towards the high luminosity regime, in order to access suppressed processes like rare B decays or exotic charmonium resonances. In this scenario, high rate capability is a key requirement for electronics instrumentation, together with excellent timing resolution for precise event reconstruction. The development of dedicated FrontEnd Electronics (FEE) for detectors has become increasingly challenging. A current trend in R&D is towards multipurpose FEE which can be easily adapted to a great variety of detectors, without impairing the required high performance. We report on high-precision timing solutions which utilise high-bandwidth preamplifiers and fast discriminators providing Time-over-Threshold information, which can be used for charge measurements or walk corrections thus improving the obtainable timing resolution. The output signal are LVDS and can be directly fed into a multi-hit TDC readout. The performance of the electronics was investigated for single photon signals, typical for imaging Cherenkov detectors. The opposite condition of light signals arising from plastic scintillators, was also studied. High counting rates per channel of several MHz were achieved, and a timing resolution of better than 100 ps could be obtained in a test experiment using the full readout chain.

physics.ins-det↗

arXiv2014

Quasifree photoproduction of $η$ mesons off protons and neutrons

Differential and total cross sections for the quasifree reactions $γp\rightarrowηp$ and $γn\rightarrowηn$ have been determined at the MAMI-C electron accelerator using a liquid deuterium target. Photons were produced via bremsstrahlung from the 1.5 GeV incident electron beam and energy-tagged with the Glasgow photon tagger. Decay photons of the neutral decay modes $η\rightarrow 2γ$ and $η\rightarrow 3π^0 \rightarrow 6γ$ and coincident recoil nucleons were detected in a combined setup of the Crystal Ball and the TAPS calorimeters. The $η$-production cross sections were measured in coincidence with recoil protons, recoil neutrons, and in an inclusive mode without a condition on recoil nucleons, which allowed a check of the internal consistency of the data. The effects from nuclear Fermi motion were removed by a kinematic reconstruction of the final-state invariant mass and possible nuclear effects on the quasifree cross section were investigated by a comparison of free and quasifree proton data. The results, which represent a significant improvement in statistical quality compared to previous measurements, agree with the known neutron-to-proton cross-section ratio in the peak of the $S_{11}(1535)$ resonance and confirm a peak in the neutron cross section, which is absent for the proton, at a center-of-mass energy $W = (1670\pm 5)$ MeV with an intrinsic width of $Γ\approx 30$ MeV.

nucl-ex↗

arXiv2014

$K^+Λ$ and $K^+Σ^0$ photoproduction with fine center-of-mass energy resolution

Measurements of $γp \rightarrow K^{+} Λ$ and $γp \rightarrow K^{+} Σ^0$ cross-sections have been obtained with the photon tagging facility and the Crystal Ball calorimeter at MAMI-C. The measurement uses a novel $K^+$ meson identification technique in which the weak decay products are characterized using the energy and timing characteristics of the energy deposit in the calorimeter, a method that has the potential to be applied at many other facilities. The fine center-of-mass energy ($W$) resolution and statistical accuracy of the new data results in a significant impact on partial wave analyses aiming to better establish the excitation spectrum of the nucleon. The new analyses disfavor a strong role for quark-diquark dynamics in the nucleon.

nucl-ex↗

arXiv2014

Diffractive $Z$ boson pair production at LHC in the large extra dimensions scenario

In this paper we study the diffractive $Z$ boson pair production mediated by the Kaluza-Klein graviton in the large extra dimensions scenario at the CERN Large Hadron Collider energies. Considering the Durham model we estimate the total cross section for the central inclusive and exclusive diffractive production of a $Z$ boson pair in $pp/pPb/PbPb$ collisions. Our results indicate that the experimental analysis of the central inclusive production in $pp$ collisions is feasible at CERN LHC.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2014

A new measurement of the rare decay eta -> pi^0 gamma gamma with the Crystal Ball/TAPS detectors at the Mainz Microtron

A new measurement of the rare, doubly radiative decay eta->pi^0 gamma gamma was conducted with the Crystal Ball and TAPS multiphoton spectrometers together with the photon tagging facility at the Mainz Microtron MAMI. New data on the dependence of the partial decay width, Gamma(eta->pi^0 gamma gamma), on the two-photon invariant mass squared, m^2(gamma gamma), as well as a new, more precise value for the decay width, Gamma(eta->pi^0 gamma gamma) = (0.33+/-0.03_tot) eV, are based on analysis of 1.2 x 10^3 eta->pi^0 gamma gamma decays from a total of 6 x 10^7 eta mesons produced in the gamma p -> eta p reaction. The present results for dGamma(eta->pi^0 gamma gamma)/dm^2(gamma gamma) are in good agreement with previous measurements and recent theoretical calculations for this dependence.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2014

Measurement of the g p -> K^0 Sigma^+ reaction with the Crystal Ball/TAPS detectors at the Mainz Microtron

The g p -> K^0 Sigma^+ reaction has been measured from threshold to Eg=1.45 GeV (W_cm=1.9 GeV) using the Crystal Ball and TAPS multiphoton spectrometers together with the photon tagging facility at the Mainz Microtron MAMI. In the present experiment, this reaction was searched for in the 3pi^0 p final state, by assuming K^0_S -> pi^0 pi^0 and Sigma^+ -> pi^0 p. The experimental results include total and differential cross sections as well as the polarization of the recoil hyperon. The new data significantly improve empirical knowledge about the g p -> K^0 Sigma^+ reaction in the measured energy range. The results are compared to previous measurements and model predictions. It is demonstrated that adding the present g p -> K^0 Sigma^+ results to existing data allowed a better description of this reaction with various models.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2014

A new determination of the eta transition form factor in the Dalitz decay eta -> e^+ e^- gamma with the Crystal Ball/TAPS detectors at the Mainz Microtron

The Dalitz decay eta -> e^+ e^- gamma has been measured in the gamma p -> eta p reaction with the Crystal Ball and TAPS multiphoton spectrometers, together with the photon tagging facility at the Mainz Microtron MAMI. The experimental statistic used in this work is one order of magnitude greater than in any previous measurement of eta -> e^+ e^- gamma. The value obtained for the slope parameter 1/Lambda^2 of the eta transition form factor, 1/Lambda^2 = (1.95 +/- 0.15_stat +/- 0.10_syst) [1/GeV^2], is in good agreement with recent measurements conducted in eta -> e^+ e^- gamma and eta -> mu^+ mu^- gamma decays, as well as with recent form-factor calculations. The uncertainty obtained in the value of 1/Lambda^2 is lower compared to results from previous measurements of the eta -> e^+ e^- gamma decay.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2014

Search for light massive gauge bosons as an explanation of the $(g-2)_μ$ anomaly at MAMI

A massive, but light abelian U(1) gauge boson is a well motivated possible signature of physics beyond the Standard Model of particle physics. In this paper, the search for the signal of such a U(1) gauge boson in electron-positron pair-production at the spectrometer setup of the A1 Collaboration at the Mainz Microtron (MAMI) is described. Exclusion limits in the mass range of 40 MeV up to 300 MeV with a sensitivity in the mixing parameter of down to $ε^2 = 8\times 10^{-7}$ are presented. A large fraction of the parameter space has been excluded where the discrepancy of the measured anomalous magnetic moment of the muon with theory might be explained by an additional U(1) gauge boson.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2014

Photoproduction of pi0-mesons off neutrons in the nucleon resonance region

Precise angular distributions have been measured for the first time for the photoproduction of $π^{0}$-mesons off neutrons bound in the deuteron. The effects from nuclear Fermi motion have been eliminated by a complete kinematic reconstruction of the final state. The influence of final-state-interaction effects has been estimated by a comparison of the reaction cross section for quasi-free protons bound in the deuteron to the results for free protons and then applied as a correction to the quasi-free neutron data. The experiment was performed at the tagged photon facility of the Mainz Microtron MAMI with the Crystal Ball and TAPS detector setup for incident photon energies between $0.45$~GeV and $1.4$~GeV. The results are compared to the predictions from reaction models and partial-wave analyses based on data from other isospin channels. The model predictions show large discrepancies among each other and the present data will provide much tighter constraints. This is demonstrated by the results of a new analysis in the framework of the Bonn-Gatchina coupled-channel analysis which included the present data.

nucl-ex↗

arXiv2014

Measurement of the beam-helicity asymmetry $I^{\odot}$ in the photoproduction of $π^0π^{\pm}$-pairs off protons and off neutrons

Beam-helicity asymmetries have been measured at the MAMI accelerator in Mainz for the photoproduction of mixed-charge pion pairs in the reactions $\boldsymbolγp\rightarrow nπ^0π^+$ off free protons and $\boldsymbolγd\rightarrow (p)pπ^0π^-$ and $\boldsymbolγd\rightarrow (n)nπ^0π^+$ off quasi-free nucleons bound in the deuteron for incident photon energies up to 1.4 GeV. Circularly polarized photons were produced from bremsstrahlung of longitudinally polarized electrons and tagged with the Glasgow-Mainz magnetic spectrometer. The charged pions, recoil protons, recoil neutrons, and decay photons from $π^0$ mesons were detected in the 4$π$ electromagnetic calorimeter composed of the Crystal Ball and TAPS detectors. Using a complete kinematic reconstruction of the final state, excellent agreement was found between the results for free and quasi-free protons, suggesting that the quasi-free neutron results are also a close approximation of the free-neutron asymmetries. A comparison of the results to the predictions of the Two-Pion-MAID reaction model shows that the reaction mechanisms are still not well understood, in particular at low incident photon energies in the second nucleon-resonance region.

nucl-ex↗

arXiv2013

Quasi-free photoproduction of eta-mesons off 3He nuclei

Quasi-free photoproduction of $η$-mesons has been measured off nucleons bound in $^3$He nuclei for incident photon energies from the threshold region up to 1.4 GeV. The experiment was performed at the tagged photon facility of the Mainz MAMI accelerator with an almost $4π$ covering electromagnetic calorimeter, combining the TAPS and Crystal Ball detectors. The $η$-mesons were detected in coincidence with the recoil nucleons. This allowed a comparison of the production cross section off quasi-free protons and quasi-free neutrons and a full kinematic reconstruction of the final state, eliminating effects from nuclear Fermi motion. In the $S_{11}$(1535) resonance peak, the data agree with the neutron/proton cross section ratio extracted from measurements with deuteron targets. More importantly, the prominent structure observed in photoproduction off quasi-free neutrons bound in the deuteron is also clearly observed. Its parameters (width, strength) are consistent with the expectations from the deuteron results. On an absolute scale the cross sections for both quasi-free protons and neutrons are suppressed with respect to the deuteron target pointing to significant nuclear final state interaction effects.

nucl-ex↗

arXiv2013

A narrow structure in the excitation function of eta-photoproduction off the neutron

The photoproduction of $η$-mesons off nucleons bound in $^2$H and $^3$He has been measured in coincidence with recoil protons and recoil neutrons for incident photon energies from threshold up to 1.4 GeV. The experiments were performed at the Mainz MAMI accelerator, using the Glasgow tagged photon facility. Decay photons from the $η\rightarrow 2γ$ and $η\rightarrow 3π^0$ decays and the recoil nucleons were detected with an almost $4π$ electromagnetic calorimeter combining the Crystal Ball and TAPS detectors. The data from both targets are of excellent statistical quality and show a narrow structure in the excitation function of $γn\rightarrow nη$. The results from the two measurements are consistent taking into account the expected effects from nuclear Fermi motion. The best estimates for position and intrinsic width of the structure are $W$ = (1670$\pm$5) MeV and $Γ$ =(30$\pm$15) MeV. For the first time precise results for the angular dependence of this structure have been extracted.

nucl-ex↗

arXiv2013

Measurement of the $^{1}H$($\vecγ$, $\vec{p}$)$π^{0}$ reaction using a novel nucleon spin polarimeter

We report the first large-acceptance measurement of polarization transfer from a polarized photon beam to a recoiling nucleon, pioneering a novel polarimetry technique with wide application to future nuclear and hadronic physics experiments. The commissioning measurement of polarization transfer in the $^{1}H$($\vecγ$,$\vec{p}$)$π^{0}$ reaction in the range $0.4<E_γ<1.4$ GeV is highly selective regarding the basic parameterizations used in partial wave analyses to extract the nucleon excitation spectrum. The new data strongly favor the recently proposed Chew-Mandelstam formalism.

nucl-ex↗

arXiv2013

Accurate Test of Chiral Dynamics in the \boldmath$\vecγ p \rightarrow π^0p$ Reaction

A precision measurement of the differential cross sections $dσ/dΩ$ and the linearly polarized photon asymmetry $Σ\equiv (dσ_\perp - dσ_\parallel) \slash (dσ_\perp + dσ_\parallel)$ for the $\vecγ p \rightarrow π^0p$ reaction in the near-threshold region has been performed with a tagged photon beam and almost $4π$ detector at the Mainz Microtron. The Glasgow-Mainz photon tagging facility along with the Crystal Ball/TAPS multi-photon detector system and a cryogenic liquid hydrogen target were used. These data allowed for a precise determination of the energy dependence of the real parts of the $S$- and all three $P$-wave amplitudes for the first time and provide the most stringent test to date of the predictions of Chiral Perturbation Theory and its energy region of agreement with experiment.

nucl-ex↗

arXiv2013

Measurement of the beam-helicity asymmetry $I^{\odot}$ in the photoproduction of $π^0$-pairs off the proton and off the neutron

Beam-helicity asymmetries have been measured at the MAMI accelerator in Mainz for the photoproduction of neutral pion pairs in the reactions $\vecγp\rightarrow pπ^0π^0$ and $\vecγd\rightarrow (n)pπ^0π^0$, $\vecγd\rightarrow (p)nπ^0π^0$ off free protons and off quasi-free nucleons bound in the deuteron for incident photon energies up to 1.4 GeV. Circularly polarized photons were produced from bremsstrahlung of longitudinally polarized electrons and tagged with the Glasgow magnetic spectrometer. Decay photons from the $π^0$ mesons, recoil protons, and recoil neutrons were detected in the 4$π$ covering electromagnetic calorimeter composed of the Crystal Ball and TAPS detectors. After kinematic reconstruction of the final state, excellent agreement was found between the results for free and quasi-free protons. This demonstrates that the free-nucleon behavior of such observables can be extracted from measurements with quasi-free nucleons, which is the only possibility for the neutron. Contrary to expectations, the measured asymmetries are very similar for reactions off protons and neutrons. The results are compared to the predictions from the Two-Pion-MAID reaction model and (for the proton) also to the Bonn-Gatchina coupled channel analysis.

nucl-ex↗

arXiv2012

GRAVITY: metrology

GRAVITY is a second generation VLTI instrument, combining the light of four telescopes and two objects simultaneously. The main goal is to obtain astrometrically accurate information. Besides correctly measured stellar phases this requires the knowledge of the instrumental differential phase, which has to be measured optically during the astronomical observations. This is the purpose of a dedicated metrology system. The GRAVITY metrology covers the full optical path, from the beam combiners up to the reference points in the beam of the primary telescope mirror, minimizing the systematic uncertainties and providing a proper baseline in astrometric terms. Two laser beams with a fixed phase relation travel backward the whole optical chain, creating a fringe pattern in any plane close to a pupil. By temporal encoding the phase information can be extracted at any point by means of flux measurements with photo diodes. The reference points chosen sample the pupil at typical radii, eliminating potential systematics due differential focus. We present the final design and the performance estimate, which is in accordance with the overall requirements for GRAVITY.

astro-ph.IM↗