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Study of photon dissociation in diffractive photoproduction at HERA.

Journal Article · · Z. Phys. C
Diffractive dissociation of quasi-real photons at a photon-proton centre of mass energy of W >> 200 GeV is studied with the ZEUS detector at HERA. The process under consideration is {gamma}{rho}{yields} XN, where X is the diffractively dissociated photon system of mass MX and N is either a proton or a nucleonic system with mass MN < 2 GeV. The cross section for this process in the interval 3 < MX < 24 GeV relative to the total photoproduction cross section was measured to be s{sup partial}D/s{sub tot} = 6.2 {+-}0.2 (stat) {+-}1.4 (syst)%. After extrapolating this result to the mass interval of mf2 < MX2 < 0.05W2 and correcting it for proton dissociation, the fraction of the total cross section attributed to single diffractive photon dissociation, {gamma}{rho}{yields}, is found to be s{sub SD}/s{sub tot} = 13.3 {+-}0.5 (stat){+-}3.6(syst)%. The mass spectrum of the dissociated photon system in the interval 8 < MX < 24 GeV can be described by the triple pomeron (PPP) diagram with an effective pomeron intercept of {alpha}{sub P}(0)=1.12{+-}0.04(stat) {+-}0.08(syst). The cross section for photon dissociation in the range 3 < MX < 8 GeV is significantly higher than that expected from the triple pomeron amplitude describing the region 8 < MX < 24 GeV. Assuming that this discrepancy is due to a pomeron-pomeron-reggeon (PPR) term, its contribution to the diffractive cross section in the interval 3 < MX < 24 GeVis estimated to be f{sub PPR}=26{+-} 3(stat) {+-} 12(syst).
Research Organization:
Argonne National Laboratory (ANL)
Sponsoring Organization:
ER
DOE Contract Number:
AC02-06CH11357
OSTI ID:
938402
Report Number(s):
ANL-HEP-PR-98-62
Journal Information:
Z. Phys. C, Journal Name: Z. Phys. C Journal Issue: 1997 Vol. 75; ISSN 0170-9739; ISSN ZPCFD2
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
ENGLISH