Accurate Test of Chiral Dynamics in the \boldmath$\vecγ p \rightarrow π^0p$ Reaction

Abstract

A precision measurement of the differential cross sections $dσ/dΩ$ and the linearly polarized photon asymmetry $Σ\equiv (dσ_\perp - dσ_\parallel) \slash (dσ_\perp + dσ_\parallel)$ for the $\vecγ p \rightarrow π^0p$ reaction in the near-threshold region has been performed with a tagged photon beam and almost $4π$ detector at the Mainz Microtron. The Glasgow-Mainz photon tagging facility along with the Crystal Ball/TAPS multi-photon detector system and a cryogenic liquid hydrogen target were used. These data allowed for a precise determination of the energy dependence of the real parts of the $S$- and all three $P$-wave amplitudes for the first time and provide the most stringent test to date of the predictions of Chiral Perturbation Theory and its energy region of agreement with experiment.

5 pages, 2 figures