Deep Exclusive Electroproduction of π^{0} at High Q^{2} in the Quark Valence Regime

DOI

10.1103/PhysRevLett.127.152301

Authors

Document Type

Journal Article

Publication Date

10-8-2021

Publication Title

Physical review letters

Volume

127

Issue

15

First Page

152301

Abstract

We report measurements of the exclusive neutral pion electroproduction cross section off protons at large values of x_{B} (0.36, 0.48, and 0.60) and Q^{2} (3.1 to 8.4  GeV^{2}) obtained from Jefferson Lab Hall A experiment E12-06-014. The corresponding structure functions dσ_{T}/dt+εdσ_{L}/dt, dσ_{TT}/dt, dσ_{LT}/dt, and dσ_{LT^{'}}/dt are extracted as a function of the proton momentum transfer t-t_{min}. The results suggest the amplitude for transversely polarized virtual photons continues to dominate the cross section throughout this kinematic range. The data are well described by calculations based on transversity generalized parton distributions coupled to a helicity flip distribution amplitude of the pion, thus providing a unique way to probe the structure of the nucleon.

Open Access

OA

Share

COinS