arXiv subjects

T. Holmstrom

Publications and source records attributed to T. Holmstrom.

54 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

arXiv2011

High Precision Measurement of the Proton Elastic Form Factor Ratio $μ_pG_E/G_M$ at low $Q^2$

We report a new, high-precision measurement of the proton elastic form factor ratio μ_p G_E/G_M for the four-momentum transfer squared Q^2 = 0.3-0.7 (GeV/c)^2. The measurement was performed at Jefferson Lab (JLab) in Hall A using recoil polarimetry. With a total uncertainty of approximately 1%, the new data clearly show that the deviation of the ratio μ_p G_E/G_M from unity observed in previous polarization measurements at high Q^2 continues down to the lowest Q^2 value of this measurement. The updated global fit that includes the new results yields an electric (magnetic) form factor roughly 2% smaller (1% larger) than the previous global fit in this Q^2 range. We obtain new extractions of the proton electric and magnetic radii, which are ^(1/2)=0.875+/-0.010 fm and ^(1/2)=0.867+/-0.020 fm. The charge radius is consistent with other recent extractions based on the electron-proton interaction, including the atomic hydrogen Lamb shift measurements, which suggests a missing correction in the comparison of measurements of the proton charge radius using electron probes and the recent extraction from the muonic hydrogen Lamb shift.

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arXiv2011

Low Q^2 measurements of the proton form factor ratio $mu_p G_E / G_M$

We present an updated extraction of the proton electromagnetic form factor ratio, mu_p G_E/G_M, at low Q^2. The form factors are sensitive to the spatial distribution of the proton, and precise measurements can be used to constrain models of the proton. An improved selection of the elastic events and reduced background contributions yielded a small systematic reduction in the ratio mu_p G_E/G_M compared to the original analysis.

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arXiv2011

Search for a new gauge boson in the $A'$ Experiment (APEX)

We present a search at Jefferson Laboratory for new forces mediated by sub-GeV vector bosons with weak coupling $α'$ to electrons. Such a particle $A'$ can be produced in electron-nucleus fixed-target scattering and then decay to an $e^+e^-$ pair, producing a narrow resonance in the QED trident spectrum. Using APEX test run data, we searched in the mass range 175--250 MeV, found no evidence for an $A'\to e^+e^-$ reaction, and set an upper limit of $α'/α\simeq 10^{-6}$. Our findings demonstrate that fixed-target searches can explore a new, wide, and important range of masses and couplings for sub-GeV forces.

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arXiv2011

Single Spin Asymmetries in Charged Pion Production from Semi-Inclusive Deep Inelastic Scattering on a Transversely Polarized $^3$He Target

We report the first measurement of target single spin asymmetries in the semi-inclusive $^3{He}(e,e'π^\pm)X$ reaction on a transversely polarized target. The experiment, conducted at Jefferson Lab using a 5.9 GeV electron beam, covers a range of 0.14 $< x <$ 0.34 with 1.3 $<Q^2<$ 2.7 GeV$^2$. The Collins and Sivers moments were extracted from the azimuthal angular dependence of the measured asymmetries. The extracted $π^\pm$ Collins moments for $^3$He are consistent with zero, except for the $π^+$ moment at $x=0.34$, which deviates from zero by 2.3$σ$. While the $π^-$ Sivers moments are consistent with zero, the $π^+$ Sivers moments favor negative values. The neutron results were extracted using the nucleon effective polarization and the measured cross section ratio of proton to $^3$He, and are largely consistent with the predictions of phenomenological fits and quark model calculations.

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arXiv2011

New Precision Limit on the Strange Vector Form Factors of the Proton

The parity-violating cross-section asymmetry in the elastic scattering of polarized electrons from unpolarized protons has been measured at a four-momentum transfer squared Q2 = 0.624 GeV and beam energy E =3.48 GeV to be A_PV = -23.80 +/- 0.78 (stat) +/- 0.36 (syst) parts per million. This result is consistent with zero contribution of strange quarks to the combination of electric and magnetic form factors G_E^s + 0.517 G_M^s = 0.003 +/- 0.010 (stat) +/- 0.004 (syst) +/- 0.009 (ff), where the third error is due to the limits of precision on the electromagnetic form factors and radiative corrections. With this measurement, the world data on strange contributions to nucleon form factors are seen to be consistent with zero and not more than a few percent of the proton form factors.

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arXiv2010

Measurements of the Electric Form Factor of the Neutron up to Q2=3.4 GeV2 using the Reaction He3(e,e'n)pp

The electric form factor of the neutron was determined from studies of the reaction He3(e,e'n)pp in quasi-elastic kinematics in Hall A at Jefferson Lab. Longitudinally polarized electrons were scattered off a polarized target in which the nuclear polarization was oriented perpendicular to the momentum transfer. The scattered electrons were detected in a magnetic spectrometer in coincidence with neutrons that were registered in a large-solid-angle detector. More than doubling the Q2-range over which it is known, we find GEn = 0.0225 +/- 0.0017 (stat) +/- 0.0024 (syst), 0.0200 +/- 0.0023 +/- 0.0018, and 0.0142 +/- 0.0019 +/- 0.0013 for Q2 = 1.72, 2.48, and 3.41 GeV2, respectively.

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arXiv2010

Study of the rare hyperon decay Omega \to Xi π^+ π^-

We report a new measurement of the decay Ω^- \to Ξ^- π^+ π^- with 76 events and a first observation of the decay Ω^+ \to Ξ^+ π^+ π^- with 24 events, yielding a combined branching ratio (3.74 ^{+0.67}_{-0.56}) \times 10^{-4}. This represents a factor 25 increase in statistics over the best previous measurement. No evidence is seen for CP violation, with B(Ω^- \to Ξ^- π^+ π^-)=4.04^{+0.83}_{-0.71} \times 10^{-4} and B(Ω^+ \to Ξ^+ π^+ π^-)=3.15^{+1.12}_{-0.89} \times 10^{-4}. Contrary to theoretical expectation, we see little evidence for the decays Ω^- \to Ξ_{1530}^{*0} π^- and Ω^+ \to Ξ_{1530}^{*0} π^+ and place a 90% C.L. upper limit on the combined branching ratio B(Ω^-(Ω^+) \to Ξ^{*0}_{1530}(Ξ^{*0}_{1530}) π^\mp)<7.0 \times 10^{-5}.

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arXiv2010

Polarization Observables in Deuteron Photodisintegration below 360 MeV

High precision measurements of induced and transferred recoil proton polarization in d(polarized gamma, polarized p})n have been performed for photon energies of 277--357 MeV and theta_cm = 20 degrees -- 120 degrees. The measurements were motivated by a longstanding discrepancy between meson-baryon model calculations and data at higher energies. At the low energies of this experiment, theory continues to fail to reproduce the data, indicating that either something is missing in the calculations and/or there is a problem with the accuracy of the nucleon-nucleon potential being used.

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arXiv2009

Probing Cold Dense Nuclear Matter

The protons and neutrons in a nucleus can form strongly correlated nucleon pairs. Scattering experiments, where a proton is knocked-out of the nucleus with high momentum transfer and high missing momentum, show that in 12C the neutron-proton pairs are nearly twenty times as prevalent as proton-proton pairs and, by inference, neutron-neutron pairs. This difference between the types of pairs is due to the nature of the strong force and has implications for understanding cold dense nuclear systems such as neutron stars.

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arXiv2007

A Search for Sigma^0_5, N^0_5 and Theta^++ Pentaquark States

A high-resolution (sigma_instr. = 1.5 MeV) search for narrow states (Gamma < 10 MeV) with masses of M_x approx 1500-1850 MeV in ep -> e'K^+ X, e'K^- X and e' pi^+ X electroproduction at small angles and low Q^2 was performed. These states would be candidate partner states of the reported Theta^+(1540) pentaquark. No statistically significant signal was observed in any of the channels at 90% C.L. Upper limits on forward production were determined to be between 0.7% and 4.2% of the Lambda(1520) production cross section, depending on the channel and the assumed mass and width of the state.

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arXiv2005

Search for the Lepton-Number-Violating Decay $Ξ^- \to p μ^- μ^-$

A sensitive search for the lepton-number-violating decay $Ξ^-\to p μ^-μ^-$ has been performed using a sample of $\sim10^9$ $Ξ^-$ hyperons produced in 800 GeV/$c$ $p$-Cu collisions. We obtain $\mathcal{B}(Ξ^-\to p μ^-μ^-)< 4.0\times 10^{-8}$ at 90% confidence, improving on the best previous limit by four orders of magnitude.

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arXiv2005

Observation of Parity Violation in the Omega-minus -> Lambda + K-minus Decay

The alpha decay parameter in the process Omega-minus -> Lambda + K-minus has been measured from a sample of 4.50 million unpolarized Omega-minus decays recorded by the HyperCP (E871) experiment at Fermilab and found to be [1.78 +/- 0.19(stat) +/- 0.16(syst)]{\times}10^{-2}. This is the first unambiguous evidence for a nonzero alpha decay parameter, and hence parity violation, in the Omega-minus -> Lambda + K-minus decay.

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arXiv2005

delta S = 2 nonleptonic hyperon decays

A sensitive search for the rare decays Ω^- \to Λπ^- and Ξ^0 \to p π^- has been performed using data from the 1997 run of the HyperCP (Fermilab E871) experiment. Limits on other such processes do not exclude the possibility of observable rates for |ΔS| = 2 nonleptonic hyperon decays, provided the decays occur through parity-odd operators. We obtain the branching-fraction limits B(Ω^- \to Λπ^-)< 2.9 x 10^{-6} and B(Ξ^0 \to p π^-)< 8.2 x 10^{-6}, both at 90% confidence level.

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arXiv2005

Measurement of the Alpha Asymmetry Parameter for the Omega- to Lambda K- Decay

We have measured the alpha parameter of the Omega- to Lambda K- decay using data collected with the HyperCP spectrometer during the 1997 fixed-target run at Fermilab. Analyzing a sample of 0.96 million Omega- to Lambda K^-, Lambda to p pi- decays, we obtain alpha_Omega*alpha_Lambda = [1.33+/-0.33(stat)+/-0.52(syst)] x 10^{-2}. With the accepted value of alpha_Lambda, alpha_Omega is found to be [2.07+/-0.51(stat)+/-0.81(syst)] x 10^{-2}.

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arXiv2005

Evidence for the Decay Sigma+ -> p mu+ mu-

We report the first evidence for the decay Sigma+ -> p mu+ mu- from data taken by the HyperCP experiment(E871) at Fermilab. Based on three observed events, the branching ratio is B(Sigma+ -> p,mu+,mu-) = [8.6 +6.6,-5.4(stat) +/-5.5(syst)] x 10**-8. The narrow range of dimuon masses may indicate that the decay proceeds via a neutral intermediate state, Sigma+ -> p P0, P0 -> mu+ mu-, with a P0 mass of 214.3 +/- 0.5 MeV/c**2 and branching ratio B(Sigma+ -> p P0; P0 -> mu+ mu-) = [3.1 +2.4,-1.(stat) +/-1.5(syst)] x 10**-8.

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arXiv2004

Search for CP Violation in Charged-Xi and Lambda Hyperon Decays

We have compared the proton and antiproton angular distributions in 117 million Xi-minus -> Lambda + pi-minus -> proton + pi-minus + pi-minus and 41 million anti-Xi-minus -> anti-Lamba + pi-plus -> antiproton + pi-plus + pi-plus decays using a subset of the data from the HyperCP experiment (E871) at Fermilab. We find no evidence of CP violation, with the direct-CP-violating parameter $A_{ΞΛ} = \frac{α_Ξα_Λ - \barα_Ξ\barα_Λ}{α_Ξα_Λ + \barα_Ξ\barα_Λ} = [0.0+/-5.1(stat)+/-4.4(syst)]{\times}10^{-4}$.

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arXiv2004

High Statistics Search for the Theta+(1.54) Pentaquark State

We have searched for Theta+(1.54) -> K0,p decays using data from the 1999 run of the HyperCP experiment at Fermilab. We see no evidence for a narrow peak in the K0,p mass distribution near 1.54 GeV/c among 106,000 K0,p candidates, and obtain an upper limit for the fraction of Theta+(1.54) to K0,p candidates of <0.3% at 90% confidence.

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arXiv2004

HyperCP: A high-rate spectrometer for the study of charged hyperon and kaon decays

The HyperCP experiment (Fermilab E871) was designed to search for rare phenomena in the decays of charged strange particles, in particular CP violation in $Ξ$ and $Λ$ hyperon decays with a sensitivity of $10^{-4}$. Intense charged secondary beams were produced by 800 GeV/c protons and momentum-selected by a magnetic channel. Decay products were detected in a large-acceptance, high-rate magnetic spectrometer using multiwire proportional chambers, trigger hodoscopes, a hadronic calorimeter, and a muon-detection system. Nearly identical acceptances and efficiencies for hyperons and antihyperons decaying within an evacuated volume were achieved by reversing the polarities of the channel and spectrometer magnets. A high-rate data-acquisition system enabled 231 billion events to be recorded in twelve months of data-taking.

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