Document Type

Article

Article Version

Publisher's PDF

Publication Date

1-1-2012

Abstract

Exclusive π0 electroproduction at a beam energy of 5.75 GeV has been measured with the Jefferson Lab CLAS spectrometer. Differential cross sections were measured at more than 1800 kinematic values in Q2, xB, t, and ϕx1, in the Q2 range from 1.0 to 4.6  GeV2, −t up to 2  GeV2, and xB from 0.1 to 0.58. Structure functions σT+ϵσL, σTT, and σLT were extracted as functions of t for each of 17 combinations of Q2 and xB. The data were compared directly with two handbag-based calculations including both longitudinal and transversity generalized parton distributions (GPDs). Inclusion of only longitudinal GPDs very strongly underestimates σT+ϵσL and fails to account for σTT and σLT, while inclusion of transversity GPDs brings the calculations into substantially better agreement with the data. There is very strong sensitivity to the relative contributions of nucleon helicity-flip and helicity nonflip processes. The results confirm that exclusive π0 electroproduction offers direct experimental access to the transversity GPDs.

Comments

Copyright American Physical Society Publisher final version available at http://prl.aps.org/pdf/PRL/v109/i11/e112001

Publication Title

Physical Review Letters

Published Citation

I. Bedlinshy, et al. [CLAS Collaboration]. "Measurement of Exclusive π0 Electroproduction Structure Functions and their Relationship to Transverse Generalized Parton Distributions," Physical Review Letters. 109.11 (2012) DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.109.112001

DOI

10.1103/PhysRevLett.109.112001

Peer Reviewed

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