Measurement of pi^0 photoproduction on the proton at MAMI C

Differential cross sections for the gamma p -> pi^0 p reaction have been measured with the A2 tagged-photon facilities at the Mainz Microtron, MAMI C, up to the center-of-mass energy W=1.9 GeV. The new results, obtained with a fine energy and angular binning, increase the existing quantity of pi^0 photoproduction data by ~47%. Owing to the unprecedented statistical accuracy and the full angular coverage, the results are sensitive to high partial-wave amplitudes. This is demonstrated by the decomposition of the differential cross sections in terms of Legendre polynomials and by further comparison to model predictions. A new solution of the SAID partial-wave analysis obtained after adding the new data into the fit is presented.

A new measurement of the rare decay eta -> pi^0 gamma gamma with the Crystal Ball/TAPS detectors at the Mainz Microtron

A new measurement of the rare, doubly radiative decay eta->pi^0 gamma gamma was conducted with the Crystal Ball and TAPS multiphoton spectrometers together with the photon tagging facility at the Mainz Microtron MAMI. New data on the dependence of the partial decay width, Gamma(eta->pi^0 gamma gamma), on the two-photon invariant mass squared, m^2(gamma gamma), as well as a new, more precise value for the decay width, Gamma(eta->pi^0 gamma gamma) = (0.33+/-0.03_tot) eV, are based on analysis of 1.2 x 10^3 eta->pi^0 gamma gamma decays from a total of 6 x 10^7 eta mesons produced in the gamma p -> eta p reaction. The present results for dGamma(eta->pi^0 gamma gamma)/dm^2(gamma gamma) are in good agreement with previous measurements and recent theoretical calculations for this dependence.

A new determination of the eta transition form factor in the Dalitz decay eta -> e^+ e^- gamma with the Crystal Ball/TAPS detectors at the Mainz Microtron

The Dalitz decay eta -> e^+ e^- gamma has been measured in the gamma p -> eta p reaction with the Crystal Ball and TAPS multiphoton spectrometers, together with the photon tagging facility at the Mainz Microtron MAMI. The experimental statistic used in this work is one order of magnitude greater than in any previous measurement of eta -> e^+ e^- gamma. The value obtained for the slope parameter 1/Lambda^2 of the eta transition form factor, 1/Lambda^2 = (1.95 +/- 0.15_stat +/- 0.10_syst) [1/GeV^2], is in good agreement with recent measurements conducted in eta -> e^+ e^- gamma and eta -> mu^+ mu^- gamma decays, as well as with recent form-factor calculations. The uncertainty obtained in the value of 1/Lambda^2 is lower compared to results from previous measurements of the eta -> e^+ e^- gamma decay.

Measurement of $K^- p$ radiative capture to $gamma Lambda$ and $gamma Sigma^0$ for $p_{K^-}$ between 514 and 750 MeV/$c$

Differential cross sections for $K^-$ radiative capture in flight on the proton, leading to the $gammaLambda$ and $gammaSigma^0$ final states, have been measured at eight $K^-$ momenta between 514 and 750 MeV/$c$. The data were obtained with the Crystal Ball multiphoton spectrometer installed at the separated $K/pi$ beam line C6 of the BNL Alternating Gradient Synchrotron. The results substantially improve the existing experimental data available for studying radiative decays of excited hyperon states. An exploratory theoretical analysis is performed within the Regge-plus-resonance approach. According to this analysis, the $gammaSigma^0$ final state is dominated by hyperonresonance exchange and hints at an important role for a resonance in the mass region of 1700 MeV. In the $gammaLambda$ final state, on the other hand, the resonant contributions account for only half the strength, and the data suggest the importance of a resonance in the mass region of 1550 MeV.

Measurement of $pi^0 Lambda$, $bar{K}^0 n$, and $pi^0 Sigma^0$ production in $K^- p$ interactions for $p_{K^-}$ between 514 and 750 MeV/$c$

Differential cross sections and hyperon polarizations have been measured for $bar{K}^0 n$, $pi^0 Lambda$, and $pi^0 Sigma^0$ production in $K^- p$ interactions at eight $K^-$ momenta between 514 and 750 MeV/$c$. The experiment detected the multiphoton final states with the Crystal Ball spectrometer using a $K^-$ beam from the Alternating Gradient Synchrotron of BNL. The results provide significantly greater precision than the existing data, allowing a detailed reexamination of the excited hyperon states in our energy range.

Measurement of the Slope Parameter $alpha$ for the $etato 3pi^0$ decay with the Crystal Ball detector at the Mainz Microtron (MAMI-C)

The dynamics of the $etato 3pi^0$ decay have been studied with the Crystal Ball multiphoton spectrometer and the TAPS calorimeter. Bremsstrahlung photons produced by the 1.5-GeV electron beam of the Mainz microtron MAMI-C and tagged by the Glasgow photon spectrometer were used for $eta$-meson production. The analysis of $3 times 10^6$ $gamma p to eta p to 3pi^0 p to 6gamma p$ events yields the value $alpha=-0.032pm0.003$ for the $etato 3pi^0$ slope parameter, which agrees with the majority of recent experimental results and has the smallest uncertainty. The $pi^0pi^0$ invariant-mass spectrum was investigated for the occurrence of a cusplike structure in the vicinity of the $pi^+pi^-$ threshold. The observed effect is small and does not affect our measured value for the slope parameter.