Searcharxiv⌕ Search

arXiv subjects

R. Stassen

Publications and source records attributed to R. Stassen.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Search for $C$ violation in the decay $η\rightarrowπ^0+e^++e^-$ with WASA-at-COSY

We report on the investigation of the rare decay $η\rightarrowπ^0+\text{e}^++\text{e}^-$ which is of interest to study both $C$ violation in the electromagnetic interaction and to search for contributions from physics beyond the Standard Model, since the allowed decay via a two-photon intermediate state is strongly suppressed. The experiment has been performed using the WASA-at-COSY installation, located at the COSY accelerator of the Forschungszentrum Jülich, Germany. In total $3\times10^7$ events of the reaction $\text{p}+\text{d}\rightarrow{^3\text{He}}+η$ have been recorded at an excess energy of $Q = 59.8\,\textrm{MeV}$. Based on this data set the $C$ parity violating decay $η\rightarrowπ^0+γ^*\rightarrowπ^0+\textrm{e}^++\textrm{e}^-$ via a single-photon intermediate state has been searched for, resulting in new upper limits of $Γ\left(η\rightarrowπ^0+\textrm{e}^++\textrm{e}^-\right)/ Γ\left(η\rightarrowπ^++π^-+π^0\right) < 3.28\times10^{-5}$ and $Γ\left(η\rightarrowπ^0+\textrm{e}^++\textrm{e}^-\right)/ Γ\left(η\rightarrow\textrm{all}\right) < 7.5\times10^{-6}\ (\textrm{CL} = 90\,\%)$, respectively.

hep-ex↗

Total and differential cross sections of $η$-production in proton-deuteron fusion for excess energies between $Q_η=13\;\text{MeV}$ and $Q_η=81\;\text{MeV}$

New data on both total and differential cross sections of the production of $η$ mesons in proton-deuteron fusion to ${}^3\text{He}\,η$ in the excess energy region $13.6\;\text{MeV}\leq Q_η\leq 80.9\;\text{MeV}$ are presented. These data have been obtained with the WASA-at-COSY detector setup located at the Forschungszentrum Jülich, using a proton beam at 15 different beam momenta between $p_p = 1.60\;\text{GeV}/c$ and $p_p = 1.74\;\text{GeV}/c$. While significant structure of the total cross section is observed in the energy region $20\;\text{MeV}\lesssim Q_η\lesssim 60\;\text{MeV}$, a previously reported sharp variation around $Q_η\approx 50\;\text{MeV}$ cannot be confirmed. Angular distributions show the typical forward-peaking that was reported elsewhere. For the first time, it is possible to study the development of these angular distributions with rising excess energy over a large interval.

nucl-ex↗

Spin dependence of η meson production in proton-proton collisions close to threshold

Taking advantage of the high acceptance and axial symmetry of the WASA-at-COSY detector, and the high degree of the polarized proton beam of COSY, the reaction pp{\to} ppη has been measured close to threshold to explore the analyzing power Ay. The angular distribution of Ay is determined with the precision improved by more than one order of magnitude with respect to previous results allowing a first accurate comparison with theoretical predictions. The determined analyzing power is consistent with zero for an excess energy of Q = 15 MeV signaling s wave production with no evidence for higher partial waves. At Q = 72 MeV the data reveals strong interference of P s and P p partial waves and cancellation of (P p) and Ss*Sd contributions. These results rule out the presently available theoretical predictions for the production mechanism of the η meson.

nucl-ex↗

Phase locking the spin precession in a storage ring

This letter reports the successful use of feedback from a spin polarization measurement to the revolution frequency of a 0.97 GeV/$c$ bunched and polarized deuteron beam in the Cooler Synchrotron (COSY) storage ring in order to control both the precession rate ($\approx 121$ kHz) and the phase of the horizontal polarization component. Real time synchronization with a radio frequency (rf) solenoid made possible the rotation of the polarization out of the horizontal plane, yielding a demonstration of the feedback method to manipulate the polarization. In particular, the rotation rate shows a sinusoidal function of the horizontal polarization phase (relative to the rf solenoid), which was controlled to within a one standard deviation range of $σ= 0.21$ rad. The minimum possible adjustment was 3.7 mHz out of a revolution frequency of 753 kHz, which changes the precession rate by 26 mrad/s. Such a capability meets a requirement for the use of storage rings to look for an intrinsic electric dipole moment of charged particles.

physics.acc-ph↗

New method for a continuous determination of the spin tune in storage rings and implications for precision experiments

A new method to determine the spin tune is described and tested. In an ideal planar magnetic ring, the spin tune - defined as the number of spin precessions per turn - is given by $ν_s = γG$ (gamma is the Lorentz factor, $G$ the magnetic anomaly). For 970 MeV/c deuterons coherently precessing with a frequency of ~120 kHz in the Cooler Synchrotron COSY, the spin tune is deduced from the up-down asymmetry of deuteron carbon scattering. In a time interval of 2.6 s, the spin tune was determined with a precision of the order $10^{-8}$, and to $1 \cdot 10^{-10}$ for a continuous 100 s accelerator cycle. This renders the presented method a new precision tool for accelerator physics: controlling the spin motion of particles to high precision is mandatory, in particular, for the measurement of electric dipole moments of charged particles in a storage ring.

physics.acc-ph↗

Spin tune mapping as a novel tool to probe the spin dynamics in storage rings

Precision experiments, such as the search for electric dipole moments of charged particles using storage rings, demand for an understanding of the spin dynamics with unprecedented accuracy. The ultimate aim is to measure the electric dipole moments with a sensitivity up to 15 orders in magnitude better than the magnetic dipole moment of the stored particles. This formidable task requires an understanding of the background to the signal of the electric dipole from rotations of the spins in the spurious magnetic fields of a storage ring. One of the observables, especially sensitive to the imperfection magnetic fields in the ring is the angular orientation of stable spin axis. Up to now, the stable spin axis has never been determined experimentally, and in addition, the JEDI collaboration for the first time succeeded to quantify the background signals that stem from false rotations of the magnetic dipole moments in the horizontal and longitudinal imperfection magnetic fields of the storage ring. To this end, we developed a new method based on the spin tune response of a machine to artificially applied longitudinal magnetic fields. This novel technique, called \textit{spin tune mapping}, emerges as a very powerful tool to probe the spin dynamics in storage rings. The technique was experimentally tested in 2014 at the cooler synchrotron COSY, and for the first time, the angular orientation of the stable spin axis at two different locations in the ring has been determined to an unprecedented accuracy of better than $2.8μ$rad.

physics.acc-ph↗

Search for eta-mesic 4He in the dd->3He n pi0 and dd->3He p pi- reactions with the WASA-at-COSY facility

The search for 4He-eta bound states was performed with the WASA-at-COSY facility via the measurement of the excitation function for the dd->3He n pi0 and dd->3He p pi- processes. The beam momentum was varied continuously between 2.127 GeV/c and 2.422 GeV/c, corresponding to the excess energy for the dd->4He eta reaction ranging from Q=-70 MeV to Q=30 MeV. The luminosity was determined based on the dd->3He n reaction and quasi-free proton-proton scattering via dd->pp n_spectator n_spectator reactions. The excitation functions determined independently for the measured reactions do not reveal a structure which could be interpreted as a narrow mesic nucleus. Therefore, the upper limits of the total cross sections for the bound state production and decay in dd->(4He-eta)_bound->3He n pi0 and dd->(4He-eta)_bound->3He p pi- processes were determined taking into account the isospin relation between both the channels considered. The results of the analysis depend on the assumptions of the N* momentum distribution in the anticipated mesic-4He. Assuming as in the previous works, that this is identical with the distribution of nucleons bound with 20 MeV in 4He, we determined that (for the mesic bound state width in the range from 5 MeV to 50 MeV) the upper limits at 90% confidence level are about 3 nb and about 6 nb for npi0 and ppi- channels, respectively. However, based on the recent theoretical findings of the N*(1535) momentum distribution in the N*-3He nucleus bound by 3.6 MeV, we find that the WASA-at-COSY detector acceptance decreases and hence the corresponding upper limits are 5 nb and 10 nb for npi0 and ppi- channels respectively.

nucl-ex↗

Measurement of the $ω\to π^+ π^- π^0$ Dalitz plot distribution

Using the production reactions $pd\to {}^3\mbox{He}\,ω$ and $pp\to ppω$, the Dalitz plot distribution for the $ω\to π^+ π^- π^0$ decay is studied with the WASA detector at COSY, based on a combined data sample of $ (4.408\pm 0.042) \times 10^4$ events. The Dalitz plot density is parametrised by a product of the $P$-wave phase space and a polynomial expansion in the normalised polar Dalitz plot variables $Z$ and $ϕ$. For the first time, a deviation from pure $P$-wave phase space is observed with a significance of $4.1σ$. The deviation is parametrised by a linear term $1+2αZ$, with $α$ determined to be $+0.147\pm0.036$, consistent with the expectations of $ρ$-meson-type final-state interactions of the $P$-wave pion pairs.

nucl-ex↗

Measurement of the $\vec{n}p \to dπ^0π^0$ Reaction with Polarized Beam in the Region of the $d^*(2380)$ Resonance

We report on a high-statistics measurement of the most basic double pionic fusion reaction $\vec{n}p \to dπ^0π^0$ over the energy region of the $d^*(2380)$ resonance by use of a polarized deuteron beam and observing the double fusion reaction in the quasifree scattering mode. The measurements were performed with the WASA detector setup at COSY. The data reveal substantial analyzing powers and confirm conclusions about the $d^*$ resonance obtained from unpolarized measurements. We also confirm the previous unpolarized data obtained under complementary kinematic conditions.

nucl-ex↗

Measurements of Branching Ratios for $η$ Decays into Charged Particles

The WASA-at-COSY experiment has collected $3\times10^{7}$ events with $η$-mesons produced via the reaction $pd\rightarrow{^{3}\textrm{He}}η$ at $\textrm{T} = 1.0 \textrm{GeV}$. Using this data set, we evaluate the branching ratios of the decays $η\toπ^{+}π^{-}γ$, $η\to e^{+}e^{-}γ$, $η\toπ^{+}π^{-}e^{+}e^{-}$ and $η\to e^{+}e^{-}e^{+}e^{-}$. The branching ratios are normalized to the $η\rightarrowπ^{+}π^{-}π^{0}$ decay. In addition an upper limit on a $CP$-violating asymmetry in $η\rightarrow π^{+}π^{-}e^{+}e^{-}$ is extracted.

nucl-ex↗

Null-test signal for T-invariance violation in $pd$ scattering

The integrated proton-deuteron cross section $\widetildeσ$ for the case of the incident proton vector polarization $p_y^p$ and tensor polarization $P_{xz}$ of the deuteron target provides a null test signal for time-reversal invariance violating but P-parity conserving (TVPC) effects. We study the null-test observable $\widetildeσ$ within the Glauber theory of the double-polarized $pd$ scattering. Full spin dependence of the ordinary strong $pN$ scattering amplitudes and different types of the hypothetical TVPC pN-amplitudes are taken into account. We show that the contribution from the exchange of the lowest-mass meson allowed in the TVPC interaction, i.e. the $ρ$-meson, to the null-test observable $\widetildeσ$ is zero. The axial $h_1$ meson exchange makes a non-zero contribution. We find that inclusion of the Coulomb interaction does not lead to divergence of the cross section $\widetildeσ$ and calculate its energy dependence at the proton beam energy 100-1000 MeV.

nucl-th↗

Measurement of the analysing power in proton-proton elastic scattering at small angles

The proton analysing power in $\vec{p}p$ elastic scattering has been measured at small angles at COSY-ANKE at 796 MeV and five other beam energies between 1.6 and 2.4 GeV using a polarised proton beam. The asymmetries obtained by detecting the fast proton in the ANKE forward detector or the slow recoil proton in a silicon tracking telescope are completely consistent. Although the analysing power results agree well with the many published data at 796 MeV, and also with the most recent partial wave solution at this energy, the ANKE data at the higher energies lie well above the predictions of this solution at small angles. An updated phase shift analysis that uses the ANKE results together with the World data leads to a much better description of these new measurements.

nucl-ex↗

Charge Symmetry Breaking in dd->4Heπ0 with WASA-at-COSY

Charge symmetry breaking (CSB) observables are a suitable experimental tool to examine effects induced by quark masses on the nuclear level. Previous high precision data from TRIUMF and IUCF are currently used to develop a consistent description of CSB within the framework of chiral perturbation theory. In this work the experimental studies on the reaction dd->4Heπ0 have been extended towards higher excess energies in order to provide information on the contribution of p-waves in the final state. For this, an exclusive measurement has been carried out at a beam momentum of p=1.2 GeV/c using the WASA-at-COSY facility. The total cross section amounts to sigma(tot) = (118 +- 18(stat) +- 13(sys) +- 8(ext)) pb and first data on the differential cross section are consistent with s-wave pion production.

nucl-ex↗

Measurement of the $np \to npπ^0π^0$ Reaction in Search for the Recently Observed $d^*(2380)$ Resonance

Exclusive measurements of the quasi-free $np \to npπ^0π^0$ reaction have been performed by means of $dp$ collisions at $T_d$ = 2.27 GeV using the WASA detector setup at COSY. Total and differential cross sections have been obtained covering the energy region $\sqrt s$ = (2.35 - 2.46) GeV, which includes the region of the ABC effect and its associated $d^*(2380)$ resonance. Adding the $d^*$ resonance amplitude to that for the conventional processes leads to a reasonable description of the data. The observed resonance effect in the total cross section is in agreement with the predictions of Fäldt and Wilkin as well Albadajedo and Oset. The ABC effect, {\it i.e.} the low-mass enhancement in the $π^0π^0$-invariant mass spectrum, is found to be very modest - if present at all, which might pose a problem to some of its interpretations.

nucl-ex↗

ABC Effect and Resonance Structure in the Double-Pionic Fusion to $^3$He

Exclusive and kinematically complete measurements of the double pionic fusion to $^3$He have been performed in the energy region of the so-called ABC effect, which denotes a pronounced low-mass enhancement in the $ππ$-invariant mass spectrum. The experiments were carried out with the WASA detector setup at COSY. Similar to the observations in the basic $pn \to d π^0π^0$ reaction and in the $dd \to ^4$He$π^0π^0$ reaction, the data reveal a correlation between the ABC effect and a resonance-like energy dependence in the total cross section. Differential cross sections are well described by the hypothesis of $d^*$ resonance formation during the reaction process in addition to the conventional $t$-channel $ΔΔ$ mechanism. The deduced $d^*$ resonance width can be understood from collision broadening due to Fermi motion of the nucleons in initial and final nuclei.

nucl-ex↗

Neutron-Proton Scattering in the Context of the $d^*$(2380) Resonance

New data on quasifree polarized neutron-proton scattering, in the region of the recently observed $d^*$ resonance structure, have been obtained by exclusive and kinematically complete high-statistics measurements with WASA at COSY. This paper details the determination of the beam polarization, checks of the quasifree character of the scattering process, on all obtained $A_y$ angular distributions and on the new partial-wave analysis, which includes the new data producing a resonance pole in the $^3D_3$-$^3G_3$ coupled partial waves at ($2380\pm10 - i40\pm5$) MeV -- in accordance with the $d^*$ dibaryon resonance hypothesis. The effect of the new partial-wave solution on the description of total and differential cross section data as well as specific combinations of spin-correlation and spin-transfer observables available from COSY-ANKE measurements at $T_d$ = 2.27 GeV is discussed.

nucl-ex↗

Cross section ratio and angular distributions of the reaction p + d -> 3He + eta at 48.8 MeV and 59.8 MeV excess energy

We present new data for angular distributions and on the cross section ratio of the p + d -> 3He + eta reaction at excess energies of Q = 48.8 MeV and Q = 59.8 MeV. The data have been obtained at the WASA-at-COSY experiment (Forschungszentrum Jülich) using a proton beam and a deuterium pellet target. While the shape of obtained angular distributions show only a slow variation with the energy, the new results indicate a distinct and unexpected total cross section fluctuation between Q = 20 MeV and Q = 60 MeV, which might indicate the variation of the production mechanism within this energy interval.

nucl-ex↗