The pp-> pp eta reaction was investigated at excess energies of 15 MeV and 72 MeV using the azimuthally symmetric WASA detector and a polarized proton beam of the Cooler Synchrotron COSY. The aim of the studies is the determination of partial wave contributions to the production process of the eta meson in nucleon-nucleon collisions. Here we present preliminary results of the extraction of the position of the interaction region with respect to the WASA detector and preliminary results on the degree of polarization of the COSY proton beam used in the experiment.
We report on the COSY-11 measurements of the analysing power for the p(pol)p --> ppeta reaction and interpret the results in the framework of the meson exchange models.
The two-pion production reaction $vec{p}pto pppi^+pi^-$ was measured with a polarized proton beam at $T_p approx$ 750 and 800 MeV using the short version of the COSY-TOF spectrometer. The implementation of a delayed pulse technique for Quirl and cent
ral calorimeter provided positive $pi^+$ identification in addition to the standard particle identification, energy determination as well as time-of-flight and angle measurements. Thus all four-momenta of the emerging particles could be determined with 1-4 overconstraints. Total and differential cross sections as well as angular distributions of the vector analyzing power have been obtained. They are compared to previous data and theoretical calculations. In contrast to predictions we find significant analyzing power values up to $A_y$ = 0.3.
We present the results of measurements of the analysing power for the p(pol)p --> pp eta reaction at the excess energies of Q=10 and 36 MeV, and interpret these results within the framework of the meson exchange models. The determined values of the a
nalysing power at both excess energies are consistent with zero implying that the eta meson is produced predominantly in s-wave.
The analysing power measurements for the p(pol)p -> pp eta reaction studied in this dissertation are used in the determination of the reaction mechanism of the eta meson production in nucleon-nucleon collisions. Measurements have been performed in
the close-to-threshold energy region at beam momenta of p(beam)=2.010 and 2.085 GeV/c, corresponding to the excess energies of Q = 10 and 36 MeV, respectively. The experiments were realised by means of a cooler synchrotron and storage ring COSY along with a cluster jet target. For registration of the reaction products the COSY-11 facility has been used. The identification of the eta meson has been performed with the missing mass method. The results for the angular dependence of the analysing power combined with the hitherto determined isospin dependence of the total cross section for the $eta$ meson production in the nucleon-nucleon collisions, reveal a statistically significant indication that the excitation of the nucleon to the S_{11} resonance, the process which intermediates the production of the eta meson, is predominantly due to the exchange of a pi meson between the colliding nucleons. The determined values of the analysing power at both excess energies are consistent with zero implying that the eta meson is produced predominantly in the s-wave at both excess energies.
Taking advantage of the high acceptance and axial symmetry of the WASA-at-COSY detector, and the high degree of the polarized proton beam of COSY, the reaction pp{to} pp{eta} has been measured close to threshold to explore the analyzing power Ay. The
angular distribution of Ay is determined with the precision improved by more than one order of magnitude with respect to previous results allowing a first accurate comparison with theoretical predictions. The determined analyzing power is consistent with zero for an excess energy of Q = 15 MeV signaling s wave production with no evidence for higher partial waves. At Q = 72 MeV the data reveals strong interference of P s and P p partial waves and cancellation of (P p) and Ss*Sd contributions. These results rule out the presently available theoretical predictions for the production mechanism of the {eta} meson.