We present a calculation of pion photo- and electroproduction in manifestly Lorentz-invariant baryon chiral perturbation theory up to and including order q^4. We fix the low-energy constants by fitting experimental data in all available reaction chan
nels. Our results can be accessed via a web interface, the so-called chiral MAID.
We derive relations for baryon photo-decay amplitudes both for the Breit-Wigner and the pole positions. With an updated SAID partial wave analysis, technically similar to the earliest Virginia Tech analysis of photoproduction data, we compare photo-d
ecay amplitudes at both resonance positions for a few selected nucleon resonances. Comparisons are made and a qualitative similarity, seen between the pole and Breit-Wigner values extracted by the Bonn-Gatchina group, is confirmed in the present study.
The possibilities of a model-independent partial wave analysis for pion, eta or kaon photoproduction are discussed in the context of complete experiments. It is shown that the helicity amplitudes obtained from at least 8 polarization observables incl
uding beam, target and recoil polarization can not be used to analyze nucleon resonances. However, a truncated partial wave analysis, which requires only 5 observables will be possible with minimal model assumptions.
Longitudinal and transverse transition form factors for most of the four-star nucleon resonances have been obtained from high-quality cross section data and polarization observables measured at MAMI, ELSA, BATES, GRAAL and CEBAF. As an application, w
e further show how the transition form factors can be used to obtain empirical transverse charge densities. Contour plots of the thus derived densities are shown and compared for the Roper and S11 nucleon resonances.
Recent progress on the extraction of electromagnetic properties of nucleon resonance excitation through pion photo- and electroproduction is reviewed. Cross section data measured at MAMI, ELSA, and CEBAF are analyzed and compared to the analysis of o
ther groups. On this basis, we derive longitudinal and transverse transition form factors for most of the four-star nucleon resonances. Furthermore, we discuss how the transition form factors can be used to obtain empirical transverse charge densities. Contour plots of the thus derived densities are shown for the Delta, Roper, S11, and D13 nucleon resonances.
Amplitude and partial wave analyses for pion, eta or kaon photoproduction are discussed in the context of `complete experiments. It is shown that the model-independent helicity amplitudes obtained from at least 8 polarization observables including be
am, target and recoil polarization can not be used to determine underlying resonance parameters. However, a truncated partial wave analysis, which theoretically requires only 5 observables will be possible with minimal model input.
Within the previously developed Dubna-Mainz-Taipei meson-exchange model, the singularity structure of the pi N scattering amplitudes has been investigated. For all partial waves up to F waves and c.m. energies up to W = 2 GeV, the T-matrix poles have
been calculated by three different techniques: analytic continuation into the complex energy plane, speed-plot and the regularization method. For all 4-star resonances, we find a perfect agreement between the analytic continuation and the regularization method. We also find resonance poles for resonances that are not so well established, but in these cases the pole positions and residues obtained by analytic continuation can substantially differ from the results predicted by the speed-plot and regularization methods.
The Gerasimov-Drell-Hearn sum rule and related dispersive integrals connect real and virtual Compton scattering to inclusive photo- and electroproduction. Being based on universal principles as causality, unitarity, and gauge invariance, these relati
ons provide a unique testing ground to study the internal degrees of freedom that hold a system together. The present contribution reviews the spin-dependent sum rules and cross sections of the nucleon. At small momentum transfer, the data sample information on the long range phenomena (Goldstone bosons and collective resonances), whereas the primary degrees of freedom (quarks and gluons) become visible at large momentum transfer (short distance). The rich body of new data covers a wide range of phenomena from coherent to incoherent processes, and from the generalized spin polarizabilities on the low-energy side to higher twist effects in deep inelastic scattering.
The unitary isobar model MAID2007 has been used to analyze the recent data of pion electroproduction. The model contains all four-star resonances in the region below W=2 GeV and both single-Q^2 and Q^2 dependent transition form factors could be obtai
ned for the Delta, Roper, D13(1520), S11(1535), S31(1620), S11(1650), D15(1675), F15(1680) and P13(1720). From the complete world data base, including also pi- data on the neutron, also Q^2 dependent neutron form factors are obtained. For all transition form factors we also give convenient numerical parameterizations that can be used in other reactions. Furthermore, we show how the transition form factors can be used to obtain empirical transverse charge densities and our first results are given for the Roper, the S11 and D13 resonances.
The invariant amplitudes for pion electroproduction on the nucleon are evaluated by dispersion relations at constant t with MAID as input for the imaginary parts of these amplitudes. In the threshold region these amplitudes are confronted with the pr
edictions of several low-energy theorems derived in the soft-pion limit. In general agreement with Chiral Perturbation Theory, the dispersive approach yields large corrections to these theorems because of the finite pion mass.
