No Arabic abstract
We give an overview of low-energy Compton scattering (gamma^(*) p --> gamma p) with a real or virtual incoming photon. These processes allow the investigation of one of the fundamental properties of the nucleon, i.e. how its internal structure deforms under an applied static electromagnetic field. Our knowledge of nucleon polarisabilities and their generalization to non-zero four-momentum transfer will be reviewed, including the presently ongoing experiments and future perspectives.
This review gives an update on virtual Compton scattering (VCS) off the nucleon, $gamma^* N to N gamma$, in the low-energy regime. We recall the theoretical formalism related to the generalized polarizabilities (GPs) and model predictions for these observables. We present the GP extraction methods that are used in the experiments: the approach based on the low-energy theorem for VCS and the formalism of Dispersion Relations. We then review the experimental results, with a focus on the progress brought by recent experimental data on proton generalized polarizabilities, and we conclude by some perspectives in the field of VCS at low energy.
During the workshop Compton Scattering off Protons and Light Nuclei: pinning down the nucleon polarisabilities (ECT*, Trento, Italy, 29 July -- 2 August 2013, http://www.ectstar.eu/node/98), recent developments had been reviewed in experimental and theoretical studies of real and virtual Compton scattering, static and generalized dipole scalar and spin polarisabilities of nucleons, as well as related phenomena in physics of muonic atoms. A vivid topic at the workshop was pathways towards the most precise extraction of the static polarisabilities from low-energy Compton cattering---including pertinent theoretical uncertainties. Being asked by our experimental colleagues, we prepared during the workshop a short letter with conclusions of the discussion, emphasising future prospects.
We review theoretical progress and prospects for determining the nucleons static dipole polarisabilities from Compton scattering on few-nucleon targets, including new values; see Refs. [1-5] for details and a more thorough bibliography.
We present recent results on elastic deuteron Compton scattering calculations for polarised beans and targets up to next-to-leading order within Chiral Effective Field Theory in the Small Scale Expansion variant to implement a dynamical Delta(1232) degree of freedom. A simple power-counting argument discloses that np-intermediate rescattering states must be explicitly included at leading order already. This automatically results in the correct Thomson limit and guarantees current conservation. In view of ongoing effort at MAXlab, proposals at HIGS and plans at MAMI, we address in detail single- and double-polarised observables with linearly or circularly polarised photons on both unpolarised and vector-polarised deuterons. Our results indicate that several of the polarisation observables can be instrumental to extract not only spin-independent nucleon polarisabilities, but also the so-far practically un-determined spin-dependent polarisabilities which parameterise the stiffness of the nucleon spin in external electro-magnetic fields. Amongst the questions addressed are: convergence of the expansion for including the Delta, the role of the np-rescattering contributions, and sensitivity to the deuteron wave function. An interactive Mathematica 7.0 notebook of these findings is available from the authors.
This executive summary of recent theory progress in Compton scattering off 3He focuses on determining neutron polarisabilities; see ref. [2] and references therein for details and a better bibliography. Prepared for the Proceedings of the 22nd International Conference on Few-Body Problems in Physics, Caen 9-13 July 2018.