Observation of a structure in the MpηM_{p\eta } invariant mass distribution near 1700 MeV/c2{MeV}/ {c}^2 in the γppπ0η\gamma \mathbf {p \rightarrow p \pi ^0 \eta } reaction

Collaboration
Oct 11, 2021
16 pages
Published in:
  • Eur.Phys.J.A 57 (2021) 12, 325
  • Published: Dec 9, 2021
e-Print:

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Abstract: (Springer)
The reaction γppπ0η\gamma p \rightarrow p \pi ^0 \eta has been studied with the CBELSA/TAPS detector at the electron stretcher accelerator ELSA in Bonn for incident photon energies from threshold up to 3.1 GeV. This paper has been motivated by the recently claimed observation of a narrow structure in the MNηM_{N\eta } invariant mass distribution at a mass of 1678MeV/c21678\,\hbox {MeV}/\hbox {c}^2. The existence of this structure cannot be confirmed in the present work. Instead, for EγE_{\gamma } = 1400–1500 MeV and the cut Mpπ01190MeV/c2M_{p\pi ^0} \le 1190 \,\hbox {MeV}/\hbox {c}^2 a statistically significant structure in the MpηM_{p\eta } invariant mass distribution near 1700 MeV/c2\hbox {MeV}/\hbox {c}^2 is observed with a width of Γ35MeV/c2\varGamma \approx 35\hbox {MeV}/\hbox {c}^2 while the mass resolution is σres\sigma _{res} = 5 MeV/c2\hbox {MeV}/\hbox {c}^2. Increasing the incident photon energy from 1420 to 1540 MeV this structure shifts in mass from \approx 1700 MeV/c2\hbox {MeV}/\hbox {c}^2 to \approx 1725 MeV/c2\hbox {MeV}/\hbox {c}^2; the width increases to about 50 MeV/c2\hbox {MeV}/\hbox {c}^2 and decreases thereafter. The cross section associated with this structure reaches a maximum of \approx 100 nb around EγE_{\gamma } \approx 1490 MeV (W \approx 1920 MeV), which coincides with the pa0p a_0 threshold. Three scenarios are discussed which might be the origin of this structure in the MpηM_{p\eta } invariant mass distribution. The most likely interpretation is that it is due to a triangular singularity in the γppa0pπ0η\gamma p \rightarrow p a_0 \rightarrow p \pi ^0 \eta reaction.
Note:
  • 16 pages, 18 figure
  • photon: energy
  • meson: photoproduction
  • photon p: exclusive reaction
  • mass spectrum: measured
  • mass resolution
  • triangulation
  • pulse stretcher
  • nucleon resonance: decay
  • Bonn ELSA Stor
  • photon: beam