Meson production in photon and neutrino experiments

Author

Joshua Shai Shimony

Date of Award

8-1988

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy

Major

Physics

Major Professor

William M. Bugg

Committee Members

James E. Brau, Ed Hart, George Condo, E. Marcia Katz

Abstract

The reaction γp→ρ⁰_fastpπ⁺π^- has been studied with the linearly polarized 20 GeV monochromatic photon beam at the SLAG Hybrid Facility, to test the prediction of s channel helicity conservation in inelastic diffraction for t < 0.4(GeV/c)². In a sample of 1934 events from this reaction, the ρ⁰ decay angular distributions and spin density matrix elements are consistent with s channel helicity conservation. The π⁺π^- mass shape displays the same skewing as seen in the reaction γp→pπ⁺π^-, and the pπ⁺π^- mass distribution compares well and scales according to the vector dominance model with that produced in π^±p→pπ⁺π^-.

Coherent production of the a₁ meson has been observed through the re action νFr → μ^-a₁Fr in the Tohoku 1m freon bubble chamber hybrid system. The bubble chamber was exposed to the Fermilab wide-band neutrino beam, generated by 800 GeV protons at the Tevatron. The observed rate from the final charged current sample of 1792 events was 1.1 ± 0.47%, and the a₁-W coupling is calculated to be f²_a/f²_ρ = 5.2 ± 2.2. A comparison of the cross section and the kinematical parameters with the theoretical predictions of the vector dominance model, gives reasonable agreement with the data.

A Monte-Carlo study was performed to check the possibility of detecting the radiative decay of the D; in our bubble chamber. Using the most favorable predicted rate through the φ branching ratio, it was determined that three times our data sample would be needed for a one σ effect above background

Recommended Citation

Shimony, Joshua Shai, "Meson production in photon and neutrino experiments. " PhD diss., University of Tennessee, 1988.
https://trace.tennessee.edu/utk_graddiss/11966