ar X iv : h ep - e x / 97 12 02 0 v 1 1 6 D ec 1 99 7 Elastic and Proton - Dissociative ρ 0 Photoproduction at HERA ZEUS

Elastic and proton-dissociative ρ photoproduction (γp → ρp, γp → ρN , respectively, with ρ → π+π−) has been studied in ep interactions at HERA for photon-proton centre-of-mass energies in the range 50 < W < 100 GeV and for |t| < 0.5 GeV, where t is the square of the four-momentum transfer at the proton vertex; the results on the protondissociative reaction are presented for masses of the dissociated proton system in the range M N < 0.1W . For the elastic process, the π+π− invariant mass spectrum has been investigated as a function of t. As in fixed target experiments, the ρ resonance shape is asymmetric; this asymmetry decreases with increasing |t|, as expected in models in which the asymmetry is ascribed to the interference of resonant and non-resonant π+π− production. The cross section has been studied as a function of W ; a fit to the resonant part with the form W a gives a = 0.16± 0.06 (stat.) +0.11 −0.15 (syst.). The resonant part of the γp → π+π−p cross section is 11.2 ± 0.1 (stat.) +1.1 −1.2 (syst.) μb at 〈W 〉 = 71.7 GeV. The t dependence of the cross section can be described by a function of the type Aρ exp (−bρ|t|+ cρt) with bρ = 10.9 ± 0.3 (stat.) +1.0 −0.5 (syst.) GeV−2 and cρ = 2.7 ± 0.9 (stat.) +1.9 −1.7 (syst.) GeV−4. The t dependence has also been studied as a function of W and a value of the slope of the pomeron trajectory α IP ′ = 0.23 ± 0.15 (stat.) +0.10 −0.07 (syst.) GeV−2 has been deduced. The ρ spin density matrix elements r 00, r 04 1−1 and Re[r04 10 ] have been measured and found to be consistent with expectations based on s-channel helicity conservation. For proton-dissociative π+π− photoproduction in the ρ mass range, the distributions of the two-pion invariant mass, W and the polar and azimuthal angles of the pions in the helicity frame are the same within errors as those for the elastic process. The t distribution has been fitted to an exponential function with a slope parameter 5.8 ± 0.3 (stat.) ± 0.5 (syst.) GeV−2. The ratio of the elastic to proton-dissociative ρ photoproduction cross section is 2.0 ± 0.2 (stat.) ± 0.7 (syst.). DESY 97-237 November 1997 The ZEUS Collaboration J. Breitweg, M. Derrick, D. Krakauer, S. Magill, D. Mikunas, B. Musgrave, J. Repond, R. Stanek, R.L. Talaga, R. Yoshida, H. Zhang Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, IL, USA p M.C.K. Mattingly Andrews University, Berrien Springs, MI, USA F. Anselmo, P. Antonioli, G. Bari, M. Basile, L. Bellagamba, D. Boscherini, A. Bruni, G. Bruni, G. Cara Romeo, G. Castellini, M. Chiarini, L. Cifarelli, F. Cindolo, A. Contin, M. Corradi, S. De Pasquale, I. Gialas, P. Giusti, G. Iacobucci, G. Laurenti, G. Levi, A. Margotti, T. Massam, R. Nania, C. Nemoz, F. Palmonari, A. Pesci, A. Polini, F. Ricci, G. Sartorelli, Y. Zamora Garcia, A. Zichichi University and INFN Bologna, Bologna, Italy f C. Amelung, A. Bornheim, I. Brock, K. Coböken, J. Crittenden, R. Deffner, M. Eckert, M. Grothe, H. Hartmann, K. Heinloth, L. Heinz, E. Hilger, H.-P. Jakob, U.F. Katz, R. Kerger, E. Paul, M. Pfeiffer, Ch. Rembser, J. Stamm, R. Wedemeyer, H. Wieber Physikalisches Institut der Universität Bonn, Bonn, Germany c D.S. Bailey, S. Campbell-Robson, W.N. Cottingham, B. Foster, R. Hall-Wilton, M.E. Hayes, G.P. Heath, H.F. Heath, J.D. McFall, D. Piccioni, D.G. Roff, R.J. Tapper H.H. Wills Physics Laboratory, University of Bristol, Bristol, U.K. o M. Arneodo, R. Ayad, M. Capua, A. Garfagnini, L. Iannotti, M. Schioppa, G. Susinno Calabria University, Physics Dept.and INFN, Cosenza, Italy f J.Y. Kim, J.H. Lee, I.T. Lim, M.Y. Pac Chonnam National University, Kwangju, Korea h A. Caldwell, N. Cartiglia, Z. Jing, W. Liu, B. Mellado, J.A. Parsons, S. Ritz, S. Sampson, F. Sciulli, P.B. Straub, Q. Zhu Columbia University, Nevis Labs., Irvington on Hudson, N.Y., USA q P. Borzemski, J. Chwastowski, A. Eskreys, J. Figiel, K. Klimek, M.B. Przybycień, L. Zawiejski Inst. of Nuclear Physics, Cracow, Poland j L. Adamczyk, B. Bednarek, M. Bukowy, A. Czermak, K. Jeleń, D. Kisielewska, T. Kowalski, M. Przybycień, E. Rulikowska-Zarȩbska, L. Suszycki, J. Zaja̧c Faculty of Physics and Nuclear Techniques, Academy of Mining and Metallurgy, Cracow, Poland j Z. Duliński, A. Kotański Jagellonian Univ., Dept. of Physics, Cracow, Poland k G. Abbiendi, L.A.T. Bauerdick, U. Behrens, H. Beier, J.K. Bienlein, G. Cases, O. Deppe, K. Desler, G. Drews, U. Fricke, D.J. Gilkinson, C. Glasman, P. Göttlicher, T. Haas, W. Hain, D. Hasell, K.F. Johnson, M. Kasemann, W. Koch, U. Kötz, H. Kowalski, J. Labs, L. Lindemann, B. Löhr, M. Löwe, O. Mańczak, J. Milewski, T. Monteiro, J.S.T. Ng, D. Notz, K. Ohrenberg, I.H. Park, A. Pellegrino, F. Pelucchi, K. Piotrzkowski, M. Roco, M. Rohde, J. Roldán, J.J. Ryan, A.A. Savin, U. Schneekloth, O. Schwarzer, F. Selonke, B. Surrow, E. Tassi, T. Voß, D. Westphal, G. Wolf, U. Wollmer, C. Youngman, A.F. Żarnecki, W. Zeuner Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron DESY, Hamburg, Germany B.D. Burow, H.J. Grabosch, A. Meyer, S. Schlenstedt DESY-IfH Zeuthen, Zeuthen, Germany G. Barbagli, E. Gallo, P. Pelfer University and INFN, Florence, Italy f G. Anzivino, G. Maccarrone, L. Votano INFN, Laboratori Nazionali di Frascati, Frascati, Italy f A. Bamberger, S. Eisenhardt, P. Markun, T. Trefzger, S. Wölfle Fakultät für Physik der Universität Freiburg i.Br., Freiburg i.Br., Germany c J.T. Bromley, N.H. Brook, P.J. Bussey, A.T. Doyle, N. Macdonald, D.H. Saxon, L.E. Sinclair, E. Strickland, R. Waugh Dept. of Physics and Astronomy, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, U.K. o I. Bohnet, N. Gendner, U. Holm, A. Meyer-Larsen, H. Salehi, K. Wick Hamburg University, I. Institute of Exp. Physics, Hamburg, Germany c L.K. Gladilin, D. Horstmann, D. Kçira, R. Klanner, E. Lohrmann, G. Poelz, W. Schott, F. Zetsche Hamburg University, II. Institute of Exp. Physics, Hamburg, Germany c T.C. Bacon, I. Butterworth, J.E. Cole, G. Howell, B.H.Y. Hung, L. Lamberti, K.R. Long, D.B. Miller, N. Pavel, A. Prinias, J.K. Sedgbeer, D. Sideris, R. Walker Imperial College London, High Energy Nuclear Physics Group, London, U.K. o U. Mallik, S.M. Wang, J.T. Wu University of Iowa, Physics and Astronomy Dept., Iowa City, USA p P. Cloth, D. Filges Forschungszentrum Jülich, Institut für Kernphysik, Jülich, Germany J.I. Fleck, T. Ishii, M. Kuze, I. Suzuki, K. Tokushuku, S. Yamada, K. Yamauchi, Y. Yamazaki Institute of Particle and Nuclear Studies, KEK, Tsukuba, Japan g S.J. Hong, S.B. Lee, S.W. Nam, S.K. Park Korea University, Seoul, Korea h F. Barreiro, J.P. Fernández, G. Garćıa, R. Graciani, J.M. Hernández, L. Hervás, L. Labarga, M. Mart́ınez, J. del Peso, J. Puga, J. Terrón, J.F. de Trocóniz Univer. Autónoma Madrid, Depto de F́ısica Teórica, Madrid, Spain n