• Energy Research

Elastic and proton-dissociative photoproduction of rho /sup 0/, phi and J/ psi vector mesons ( gamma p to Vp, gamma p to VN, respectively) have been measured in e/sup +/p interactions at HERA up to -t=3 GeV/sup 2/, where t is the four-momentum transfer squared at the photon-vector-meson vertex. The analysis is based on a data sample in which photoproduction reactions were tagged by detection of the scattered positron in a special-purpose calorimeter. This limits the photon virtuality, Q/sup 2/, to values less than 0.01 GeV/sup 2/, and selects a gamma p average center-of-mass energy of [W]=94 GeV. Results for the differential cross sections, d sigma /dt, for rho /sup 0/, phi and J/ psi mesons are presented and compared to the results of recent QCD calculations. Results are also presented for the t-dependence of the pion-pair invariant-mass distribution in the rho /sup 0/ mass region and of the spin-density matrix elements determined from the decay-angle distributions. The Pomeron trajectory has been derived from measurements of the W dependence of the elastic differential cross sections d sigma /dt for both rho /sup 0/ and phi mesons.

Elastic and proton-dissociative photoproduction of rho /sup 0/, phi and J/ psi vector mesons ( gamma p to Vp, gamma p to VN, respectively) have been measured in e/sup +/p interactions at HERA up to -t=3 GeV/sup 2/, where t is the four-momentum transfer squared at the photon-vector-meson vertex. The analysis is based on a data sample in which photoproduction reactions were tagged by detection of the scattered positron in a special-purpose calorimeter. This limits the photon virtuality, Q/sup 2/, to values less than 0.01 GeV/sup 2/, and selects a gamma p average center-of-mass energy of [W]=94 GeV. Results for the differential cross sections, d sigma /dt, for rho /sup 0/, phi and J/ psi mesons are presented and compared to the results of recent QCD calculations. Results are also presented for the t-dependence of the pion-pair invariant-mass distribution in the rho /sup 0/ mass region and of the spin-density matrix elements determined from the decay-angle distributions. The Pomeron trajectory has been derived from measurements of the W dependence of the elastic differential cross sections d sigma /dt for both rho /sup 0/ and phi mesons.

The exclusive electroproduction of omega mesons, ep -> e omega p, has been studied in the kinematic range 3 pi^+pi^-pi^0. The exclusive (ep -> e omega p) cross section in the above kinematic region is 0.108 +- 0.014(stat.) +- 0.026(syst.) nb. The reaction ep -> e phi p, phi -> pi^+pi^-pi^0, has also been measured. The cross sections, as well as the cross-section ratios omega/rho and omega/phi, are presented as a function of W and Q^2. Thus, for the first time, the properties of omega electroproduction can be compared to those of rho^0, phi and J/psi electroproduction at high W. 15 pages including 4 figures

The exclusive electroproduction of omega mesons, ep -> e omega p, has been studied in the kinematic range 3 pi^+pi^-pi^0. The exclusive (ep -> e omega p) cross section in the above kinematic region is 0.108 +- 0.014(stat.) +- 0.026(syst.) nb. The reaction ep -> e phi p, phi -> pi^+pi^-pi^0, has also been measured. The cross sections, as well as the cross-section ratios omega/rho and omega/phi, are presented as a function of W and Q^2. Thus, for the first time, the properties of omega electroproduction can be compared to those of rho^0, phi and J/psi electroproduction at high W. 15 pages including 4 figures