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Patrick Achenbach

Publications and source records attributed to Patrick Achenbach.

29 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
arXiv2019

Quasi-elastic polarization-transfer measurements on the deuteron in anti-parallel kinematics

We present measurements of the polarization-transfer components in the $^2$H$(\vec e,e'\vec p)$ reaction, covering a previously unexplored kinematic region with large positive (anti-parallel) missing momentum, $p_{\rm miss}$, up to 220 MeV$/c$, and $Q^2=0.65$ $({\rm GeV}/c)^2$. These measurements, performed at the Mainz Microtron (MAMI), were motivated by theoretical calculations which predict small final-state interaction (FSI) effects in these kinematics, making them favorable for searching for medium modifications of bound nucleons in nuclei. We find in this kinematic region that the measured polarization-transfer components $P_x$ and $P_z$ and their ratio agree with the theoretical calculations, which use free-proton form factors. Using this, we establish upper limits on possible medium effects that modify the bound proton's form factor ratio $G_E/G_M$ at the level of a few percent. We also compare the measured polarization-transfer components and their ratio for $^2$H to those of a free (moving) proton. We find that the universal behavior of $^2$H, $^4$He and $^{12}$C in the double ratio $\frac{(P_x/P_z)^A}{(P_x/P_z)^{^1\rm H}}$ is maintained in the positive missing-momentum region.

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arXiv2019

The proton charge radius extracted from the Initial State Radiation experiment at MAMI

We report on a comprehensive reinterpretation of the existing cross-section data for elastic electron-proton scattering obtained by the initial-state radiation technique, resulting in a significantly improved accuracy of the extracted proton charge radius. By refining the external energy corrections we have achieved an outstanding description of the radiative tail, essential for a detailed investigation of the proton finite-size effects on the measured cross-sections. This development, together with a novel framework for determining the radius, based on a regression analysis of the cross-sections employing a polynomial model for the form factor, led us to a new value for the charge radius, which is $(0.870 \pm 0.014_\mathrm{stat.}\pm 0.024_\mathrm{sys.} \pm 0.003_\mathrm{mod.})\,\mathrm{fm}$.

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arXiv2018

Search for light dark matter with the MESA accelerator

At the Institute for Nuclear Physics of the Johannes Gutenberg University in Mainz, the MESA facility is currently being constructed. At its core there is a new superconducting energy-recovery linac which will provide intense electron beams for precision experiments in subatomic physics. An important part of the MESA physics program consists in the search for a "dark sector" which is a candidate explanation for the longstanding dark matter problem. This report will highlight the MESA dark sector program, and in particular two experiments will be described. The first one, MAGIX, is a two-spectrometer setup employing an internal gas-jet target installed on a recirculation arc of MESA. The second one is a beam-dump experiment for directly detecting dark matter particles. The experiments are in the R\&D phase and the current status and future prospects will be presented.

hep-ex↗
arXiv2011

Current Issues in Kaon Photoelectro-Production off the Nucleon

The electromagnetic kaon production amplitudes associated to Lambda/Sigma hyperons can be described by phenomenological models, most notably by isobar approaches. Experimental data on kaon production have been collected at ELSA, SPring8, GRAAL, LNS Tohoku, and Jefferson Lab in the past, the measurements at Jefferson Lab providing the largest kinematic coverage and statistical significance. However, ambiguities inherent in the models, some data inconsistency in the cross-sections taken at different laboratories, and the problem of missing acceptance in forward direction of the experimental set-ups hinders a reliable extraction of resonance parameters. Predictions for the hypernuclear photo-production cross-section rely on a consistent and comprehensive description of the elementary process at forward kaon angles, where the current strong variation of the models is very unsatisfactory. A number of new experiments are now addressing these issues, among them the charged kaon electro-production programme with the Kaos spectrometer at the Mainz Microtron MAMI. In this work predictions of the two prominent isobar models, Kaon-Maid and Saclay-Lyon A, are compared for the kinematics at MAMI.

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arXiv2011

Strangeness physics with Kaos at MAMI

At the Institut für Kernphysik in Mainz, Germany, the microtron MAMI has been upgraded to 1.5-GeV electron beam energy. The magnetic spectrometer Kaos is now operated by the A1 collaboration to study strangeness electro-production. Its compact design and its capability to detect negative and positive charged particles simultaneously under forward scattering angles complements the existing spectrometers. In 2008 kaon production off a liquid hydrogen target was measured at = 0.050 (GeV/c)^2 and 0.036 (GeV/c)^2. Associated Lambda and Sigma hyperons were identified in the missing mass spectra. Major modifications to the beam-line are under construction and a new electron arm focal-surface detector system was built in order to use Kaos as a double-arm spectrometer under zero degree scattering angle.

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arXiv2011

Associated Lambda/Sigma electroproduction with the Kaos spectrometer at MAMI

An instrument of central importance for the strangeness photo- and electroproduction at the 1.5-GeV electron beam of the MAMI accelerator at the Institut für Kernphysik in Mainz, Germany, is the newly installed magnetic spectrometer Kaos that is operated by the A1 collaboration in $(e,e'K)$ reactions on the proton or light nuclei. Its compact design and its capability to detect negative and positive charged particles simultaneously complements the existing spectrometers. The strangeness program performed with Kaos in 2008-9 is addressing some important issues in the field of elementary kaon photo- and electroproduction reactions. Although recent measurements have been performed at Jefferson Lab, there are still a number of open problems in the interpretation of the data and the description of the elementary process using phenomenological models. With the identification of $Λ$ and $Σ^0$ hyperons in the missing mass spectra from kaon production off a liquid hydrogen target it is demonstrated that the extended facility at MAMI is capable to perform strangeness electroproduction spectroscopy at low momentum transfers $Q^2$ < 0.5 (GeV/c)$^2$. The covered kinematics and systematic uncertainties in the cross-section extraction from the data are discussed.

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arXiv2008

The Physics Program at MAMI-C

In February 2007, the fourth stage of the Mainz Microtron, MAMI-C, started operations with a first experiment. The new Harmonic Double-Sided Microtron delivers an electron beam with energies up to 1.5 GeV while preserving the excellent beam quality of the previous stages. The experimental program at MAMI is focused on studies of the hadron structure in the domain of non-perturbative QCD. In this paper, a few prominent selections of the extensive physics program at MAMI-C will be presented.

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arXiv2007

Probing hypernuclei at PANDA and at MAMI-C

Spectroscopy of Lambda hypernuclei has recently become one of the most valuable tools for the experimental investigation of strangeness nuclear physics. Several new approached are being pursued currently: In Mainz, the Microtron MAMI has been upgraded to 1.5 GeV electron beam energy and will be used to produce strange hadronic systems in the near future. The KaoS spectrometer is being installed for large acceptance, high resolution strangeness reaction spectroscopy at the existing spectrometer facility. The Mainz hypernuclei research programme will be complemented by experiments on multi-strange systems at the planned FAIR facility at GSI. The gamma-ray spectroscopy of double Lambda hypernuclei produced via Xi-bar Xi pair production is one of the four main topics which will be addressed by the PANDA Collaboration. In this paper the status of the planned experiments and the future prospects are presented.

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arXiv2006

Observation of scattering and absorption centers in lead fluoride crystals

For the first time, lead fluoride is used as a fast and compact material in electromagnetic calorimetry. Excellent optical and mechanical properties of the pure Cherenkov crystals are necessary for the A4 collaboration to perform a measurement of the nucleon's strange form factors. Visible scattering and absorption centers as well as surface damages have been investigated to characterize the quality of more than one thousand crystals. Besides, transmittance measurements have been performed on all crystals to reveal absorption bands produced by intrinsic or impurity related point-structure defects. As a consequence, 89 crystals had to be replaced by the Chinese manufacturer SICCAS.

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arXiv2006

Computational studies of light acceptance and propagation in straight and curved multimodal active fibres

A Monte Carlo simulation has been performed to track light rays in cylindrical multimode fibres by ray optics. The trapping efficiencies for skew and meridional rays in active fibres and distributions of characteristic quantities for all trapped light rays have been calculated. The simulation provides new results for curved fibres, where the analytical expressions are too complex to be solved. The light losses due to sharp bending of fibres are presented as a function of the ratio of curvature to fibre radius and bending angle. It is shown that a radius of curvature to fibre radius ratio of greater than 65 results in a light loss of less than 10% with the loss occurring in a transition region at bending angles of pi/8 rad.

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