Abstract NarrowΞπ andΞ + π ± resonances produced by quasi-real photons have been search ed for by the COMPASS experiment at CERN. The study was stimulat ed by the recent observation of an exotic baryonic state decaying into Ξπ−, at a mass of 1862 MeV, interpreted as a pentaquark. While the ordinary hyperon states Ξ(1530)0 andΞ(1530)0 are clearly seen, no exotic baryon is observed in the data taken in 2002 an d 003.

The COMPASS collaboration has collected the currently largest data set on diffractively produced pi(-) pi(-) pi(+) final states using a negative pion beam of 190 GeV/c momentum impinging on a stationary proton target. This data set allows for a systematic partial-wave analysis in 100 bins of three-pion mass, 0.5 < m(3 pi) < 2.5 GeV/c(2), and in 11 bins of the reduced four-momentum transfer squared, 0.1 < t' < 1.0 (GeV/c)(2). This two-dimensional analysis offers sensitivity to genuine one-step resonance production, i.e. the production of a state followed by its decay, as well as to more complex dynamical effects in nonresonant 3 pi production. In this paper, we present detailed studies on selected 3p partial waves with J(PC) = 0(-+) ,1(++) ,2(-+) ,2(++) ,and 4(++). In these waves, we observe the well-known groundstate mesons as well as a new narrow axial-vector meson a(1)(1420) decaying into f(0) (980)pi. In addition, we present the results of a novel method to extract the amplitude of the pi(-)pi(+) subsystem with I(G)J(PC) = 0(+)0(++) in various partial waves from the pi(-)pi(-)pi(+) data. Evidence is found for correlation of the f (0)(980) and f(0)(1500) appearing as intermediate pi(-)pi(+) isobars in the decay of the known pi(1800) and pi(2)(1880).

Using a novel analysis technique, the gluon polarisation in the nucleon is re-evaluated using the longitudinal double-spin asymmetry measured in the cross section of semi-inclusive single-hadron muoproduction with photon virtuality Q^2>1 ( GeV/c)^2. The data were obtained by the COMPASS experiment at CERN using a 160 GeV/c polarised muon beam impinging on a polarised ^6LiD target. By analysing the full range in hadron transverse momentum p_ T, the different p_ T-dependences of the underlying processes are separated using a neural-network approach. In the absence of pQCD calculations at next-to-leading order in the selected kinematic domain, the gluon polarisation Δ g/g is evaluated at leading order in pQCD at a hard scale of μ^2= ⟨ Q^2 ⟩ = 3 ( GeV/c)^2. It is determined in three intervals of the nucleon momentum fraction carried by gluons, x_ g, covering the range 0.04 < x_ g < 0.28 and does not exhibit a significant dependence on x_ g. The average over the three intervals, ⟨Δ g/g ⟩ = 0.113 ± 0.038_ (stat.)± 0.036_ (syst.) at ⟨ x_ g⟩≈ 0.10, suggests that the gluon polarisation is positive in the measured x_ g range.

C. Adolph, R. Akhunzyanov, M. G. Alexeev, G. D. Alexeev, A. Amoroso, V. Andrieux, V. Anosov, W. Augustyniak, A. Austregesilo, C. D. R. Azevedo, B. Badełek, F. Balestra, J. Barth, R. Beck, Y. Bedfer, J. Bernhard, K. Bicker, E. R. Bielert, R. Birsa, J. Bisplinghoff, M. Bodlak, M. Boer, P. Bordalo, F. Bradamante, C. Braun, A. Bressan, M. Büchele, E. Burtin, W.-C. Chang, M. Chiosso, I. Choi, S.-U. Chung, A. Cicuttin, M. L. Crespo, Q. Curiel, S. Dalla Torre, S. S. Dasgupta, S. Dasgupta, O. Yu. Denisov, L. Dhara, S. V. Donskov, N. Doshita, V. Duic, W. Dünnweber, M. Dziewiecki, A. Efremov, P. D. Eversheim, W. Eyrich, M. Faessler, A. Ferrero, M. Finger, M. Finger, Jr., H. Fischer, C. Franco, N. du Fresne von Hohenesche, J.M. Friedrich, V. Frolov, E. Fuchey, F. Gautheron, O. P. Gavrichtchouk, S. Gerassimov, F. Giordano, I. Gnesi, M. Gorzellik, S. Grabmüller, A. Grasso, M. Grosse Perdekamp, B. Grube, T. Grussenmeyer, A. Guskov, F. Haas, D. Hahne, D. von Harrach, R. Hashimoto, F. H. Heinsius, F. Herrmann, F. Hinterberger, N. Horikawa, N. d’Hose, C.-Y. Hsieh, S. Huber, S. Ishimoto, A. Ivanov, Yu. Ivanshin, T. Iwata, R. Jahn, V. Jary, R. Joosten, P. Jörg, E. Kabuß, B. Ketzer, G. V. Khaustov, Yu. A. Khokhlov, Yu. Kisselev, F. Klein, K. Klimaszewski, J. H. Koivuniemi, V. N. Kolosov, K. Kondo, K. Königsmann, I. Konorov, V. F. Konstantinov, A.M. Kotzinian, O. Kouznetsov, M. Krämer, P. Kremser, F. Krinner, Z. V. Kroumchtein, N. Kuchinski, F. Kunne, K. Kurek, R. P. Kurjata, A. A. Lednev, A. Lehmann, M. Levillain, S. Levorato, J. Lichtenstadt, R. Longo, A. Maggiora, A. Magnon, N. Makins, N. Makke, G. K. Mallot, C. Marchand, B. Marianski, A. Martin, J. Marzec, J. Matoušek, H. Matsuda, T. Matsuda, G.Meshcheryakov,W.Meyer, T.Michigami,Yu.V.Mikhailov,Y.Miyachi, P.Montuenga,A.Nagaytsev, F.Nerling, D. Neyret, V. I. Nikolaenko, J. Nový, W.-D. Nowak, G. Nukazuka, A. S. Nunes, A. G. Olshevsky, I. Orlov, M. Ostrick, D. Panzieri, B. Parsamyan, S. Paul, J.-C. Peng, F. Pereira, M. Pešek, D. V. Peshekhonov, S. Platchkov, J. Pochodzalla, V. A. Polyakov, J. Pretz,M.Quaresma, C. Quintans, S. Ramos, C. Regali,G.Reicherz, C.Riedl,N. S. Rossiyskaya,D. I. Ryabchikov, A. Rychter,V. D. Samoylenko,A. Sandacz, C. Santos, S. Sarkar, I. A. Savin, G. Sbrizzai, P. Schiavon, T. Schlüter, K. Schmidt, H. Schmieden, K. Schönning, S. Schopferer, A. Selyunin, O. Yu. Shevchenko, L. Silva, L. Sinha, S. Sirtl,M. Slunecka, F. Sozzi, A. Srnka,M.Stolarski,M.Sulc,H. Suzuki,A. Szabelski, T. Szameitat, P. Sznajder, S. Takekawa, S.Tessaro, F. Tessarotto, F. Thibaud, F. Tosello, V. Tskhay, S. Uhl, J. Veloso, M. Virius, T. Weisrock, M. Wilfert, J. ter Wolbeek, K. Zaremba, M. Zavertyaev, E. Zemlyanichkina, M. Ziembicki, and A. Zink

Exclusive production of ω mesons was studied at the COMPASS experiment by scattering 160 GeV/c muons off transversely polarised protons. Five single-spin and three double-spin azimuthal asymmetries were measured in the range of photon virtuality 1 (GeV/c)2

Precise measurements of charged-kaon multiplicities in deep inelastic scattering were performed. The results are presented in three-dimensional bins of the Bjorken scaling variable x, the relative virtual-photon energy y, and the fraction z of the virtual-photon energy carried by the produced hadron. The data were obtained by the COMPASS Collaboration by scattering 160 GeV muons off an isoscalar 6LiD target. They cover the kinematic domain 1(GeV/c)25 GeV/c2 in the invariant mass of the hadronic system. The results from the sum of the z-integrated K+ and K− multiplicities at high x point to a value of the non-strange quark fragmentation function larger than obtained by the earlier DSS fit.

New results for the double spin asymmetry A1p and the proton longitudinal spin structure function g1p are presented. They were obtained by the COMPASS Collaboration using polarised 200 GeV muons scattered off a longitudinally polarised NH3 target. The data were collected in 2011 and complement those recorded in 2007 at 160 GeV, in particular at lower values of x. They improve the statistical precision of g1p(x) by about a factor of two in the region x≲0.02. A next-to-leading order QCD fit to the g1 world data is performed. It leads to a new determination of the quark spin contribution to the nucleon spin, ΔΣ, ranging from 0.26 to 0.36, and to a re-evaluation of the first moment of g1p. The uncertainty of ΔΣ is mostly due to the large uncertainty in the present determinations of the gluon helicity distribution. A new evaluation of the Bjorken sum rule based on the COMPASS results for the non-singlet structure function g1NS(x,Q2) yields as ratio of the axial and vector coupling constants |gA/gV|=1.22±0.05(stat.)±0.10(syst.), which validates the sum rule to an accuracy of about 9%.

New experimental data on the pd -> 3He pi+ pi- reaction obtained with the COSY-MOMO detector below the three-pion threshold are presented. The reaction was also studied in inverse kinematics with a deuteron beam and the higher counting rates achieved were especially important at low excess energies. The comparison of these data with inclusive pd -> 3He+X rates allowed estimates also to be made of pi0 pi0 production. The results confirm our earlier findings that close to threshold there is no enhancement at low excitation energies in the pi+ pi- system, where the data seem largely suppressed compared to phase space. Possible explanations for this behavior, such as strong p- waves in the pi+pi- -system or the influence of two-step processes, are explored.

We measured the longitudinal double spin asymmetries ALL for single hadron muoproduction off protons and deuterons at photon virtuality Q2<1(GeV/c)2 for transverse hadron momenta pT in the range 1 GeV/c to 4 GeV/c. They were determined using COMPASS data taken with a polarised muon beam of 160 GeV/c or 200 GeV/c impinging on polarised 6LiD or NH3 targets. The experimental asymmetries are compared to next-to-leading order pQCD calculations, and are sensitive to the gluon polarisation ΔG inside the nucleon in the range of the nucleon momentum fraction carried by gluons 0.05

In the fragmentation of a transversely polarized quark several left–right asymmetries are possible for the hadrons in the jet. When only one unpolarized hadron is selected, it exhibits an azimuthal modulation known as the Collins effect. When a pair of oppositely charged hadrons is observed, three asymmetries can be considered, a di-hadron asymmetry and two single hadron asymmetries. In lepton deep inelastic scattering on transversely polarized nucleons all these asymmetries are coupled with the transversity distribution. From the high statistics COMPASS data on oppositely charged hadron-pair production we have investigated for the first time the dependence of these three asymmetries on the difference of the azimuthal angles of the two hadrons. The similarity of transversity induced single and di-hadron asymmetries is discussed. A new analysis of the data allows quantitative relationships to be established among them, providing for the first time strong experimental indication that the underlying fragmentation mechanisms are all driven by a common physical process.

A search for the exclusive production of the Zc±(3900) hadron by virtual photons has been performed in the channel Zc±(3900)→J/ψπ±. The data cover the range from 7 GeV to 19 GeV in the centre-of-mass energy of the photon–nucleon system. The full set of the COMPASS data set collected with a muon beam between 2002 and 2011 has been used. An upper limit for the ratio BR(Zc±(3900)→J/ψπ±)×σγN→Zc±(3900)N/σγN→J/ψN of 3.7×10−3 has been established at the confidence level of 90%.

Exclusive production of eta pi(-) and eta'pi(-) in has been studied with a 191 GeV/c pi(-) beam impinging on a hydrogen target at COMPASS (CERN). Partial-wave analyses reveal different odd/even angular momentum (L) characteristics in the inspected invariant mass range up to 3 GeV/c(2). A striking similarity between the two systems is observed for the L = 2, 4, 6 intensities (scaled by kinematical factors) and the relative phases. The known resonances a(2)(1320) and a(4)(2040) are in line with this similarity. In contrast, a strong enhancement of eta'pi(-) over eta pi(-) is found for the L = 1, 3, 5 waves, which carry non-qq quantum numbers. The L = 1 intensity peaks at 1.7 GeV/c(2) in in and at 1.4 GeV/c(2) in eta pi(-), the corresponding phase motions with respect to L = 2 are different. (C) 2014 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V.

The COMPASS Collaboration at CERN has measured diffractive dissociation of 190  GeV/c pions into the π(-)π(-)π(+) final state using a stationary hydrogen target. A partial-wave analysis (PWA) was performed in bins of 3π mass and four-momentum transfer using the isobar model and the so far largest PWA model consisting of 88 waves. A narrow peak is observed in the f0(980)π channel with spin, parity and C-parity quantum numbers J(PC)=1(++). We present a resonance-model study of a subset of the spin-density matrix selecting 3π states with J(PC)=2(++) and 4(++) decaying into ρ(770)π and with J(PC)=1(++) decaying into f0(980)π. We identify a new a1 meson with mass (1414(-13)(+15))  MeV/c2 and width (153(-23)(+8))  MeV/c2. Within the final states investigated in our analysis, we observe the new a1(1420) decaying only into f0(980)π, suggesting its exotic nature.

Measurements of the Collins and Sivers asymmetries for charged pions and charged and neutral kaons produced in semi-inclusive deep-inelastic scattering of high energy muons off transversely polarised protons are presented. The results were obtained using all the available COMPASS proton data, which were taken in the years 2007 and 2010. The Collins asymmetries exhibit in the valence region a non-zero signal for pions and there are hints of non-zero signal also for kaons. The Sivers asymmetries are found to be positive for positive pions and kaons and compatible with zero otherwise.

The COMPASS collaboration at CERN has investigated pion Compton scattering, π(-)γ→π(-)γ, at center-of-mass energy below 3.5 pion masses. The process is embedded in the reaction π(-)Ni→π(-)γNi, which is initiated by 190 GeV pions impinging on a nickel target. The exchange of quasireal photons is selected by isolating the sharp Coulomb peak observed at smallest momentum transfers, Q(2)<0.0015  (GeV/c)(2). From a sample of 63,000 events, the pion electric polarizability is determined to be α(π)=(2.0±0.6(stat)±0.7(syst))×10(-4)  fm(3) under the assumption α(π)=-β(π), which relates the electric and magnetic dipole polarizabilities. It is the most precise measurement of this fundamental low-energy parameter of strong interaction that has been addressed since long by various methods with conflicting outcomes. While this result is in tension with previous dedicated measurements, it is found in agreement with the expectation from chiral perturbation theory. An additional measurement replacing pions by muons, for which the cross-section behavior is unambiguously known, was performed for an independent estimate of the systematic uncertainty.

The main characteristics of the COMPASS experimental setup for physics with hadron beams are described. This setup was designed to perform exclusive measurements of processes with several charged and/or neutral particles in the final state. Making use of a large part of the apparatus that was previously built for spin structure studies with a muon beam, it also features a new target system as well as new or upgraded detectors. The hadron setup is able to operate at the high incident hadron flux available at CERN. It is characterised by large angular and momentum coverages, large and nearly flat acceptances, and good two and three-particle mass resolutions. In 2008 and 2009 it was successfully used with positive and negative hadron beams and with liquid hydrogen and solid nuclear targets. This article describes the new and upgraded detectors and auxiliary equipment, outlines the reconstruction procedures used, and summarises the general performance of the setup.

The COMPASS Collaboration at CERN has investigated the reaction π^- γ→π^-π^-π^+ embedded in the Primakoff reaction of 190 GeV pions scattering in the Coulomb field of a lead target, π^- Pb→π^-π^-π^+ Pb. Exchange of quasi-real photons is selected by isolating the sharp Coulomb peak observed at momentum transfer below 0.001 (GeV/c)^2. Using a partial-wave analysis the amplitudes and relative phases of the a_2(1320) and π_2(1670) mesons have been extracted, and the Coulomb and the diffractive contributions have been disentangled. Measuring absolute production cross sections we have determined the radiative width of the a_2(1320) to be Γ_0(a_2(1320) →πγ) = (358 ± 6_stat± 42_syst) keV. As the first measurement, Γ_0(π_2(1670) →πγ) = (181 ± 11_stat± 27_syst) keV· (BR^PDG_f_2 π/BR_f_2 π) is obtained for the radiative width of the π_2(1670), where in this analysis the branching ratio BR^PDG_f_2 π=0.56 has been used. We compare these values to previous measurements and theoretical predictions.

Exclusive production of ηπ − and η (cid:2) π − has been studied with a 191 GeV / c π − beam impinging on a hydrogen target at COMPASS (CERN). Partial-wave analyses reveal different odd/even angular momentum ( L ) characteristics in the inspected invariant mass range up to 3 GeV / c 2 . A striking similarity between the two systems is observed for the L = 2 , 4 , 6 intensities (scaled by kinematical factors) and the relative phases. The known resonances a 2 ( 1320 ) and a 4 ( 2040 ) are in line with this similarity. In contrast, a strong enhancement of η (cid:2) π − over ηπ − is found for the L = 1 , 3 , 5 waves, which carry non- q ¯ q quantum numbers. The L = 1 intensity peaks at 1 . 7 GeV / c 2 in η (cid:2) π − and at 1 . 4 GeV / c 2 in ηπ − , the corresponding phase motions with respect to L = 2 are different.