On the polarization of low mass dimuons produced in hadronic interactions

Authors

R. Youngquist, University of Rochester
J. LeBritton, University of Rochester
D. McCal, University of Rochester
W. J. Metcalf, University of Rochester
A. C. Melissinos, University of Rochester
J. Alspector, Brookhaven National Laboratory
S. Borenstein, Brookhaven National Laboratory
G. R. Kalbfleisch, Brookhaven National Laboratory
R. C. Strand, Brookhaven National Laboratory
A. Abashian, National Science Foundation

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

1-1-1980

Abstract

We have examined the angular distribution of massive μ+μ− pairs produced in 22 GeV/c π−Cu interactions. We find that the virtual photons which give rise to the process γv→μ+μ− are mainly longitudinally polarized. This contradicts the simple quark-antiquark annihilation model indicating that this is not the dominant production mechanism for the bulk of the data. However, for large fractional momentum of the incident q better agreement with the gq annihilation hypothesis is obtained. © 1980, All rights reserved.

Publication Source (Journal or Book title)

"Physics Letters, Section B: Nuclear, Elementary Particle and High-Energy Physics"

First Page

457

Last Page

460

Recommended Citation

Youngquist, R., LeBritton, J., McCal, D., Metcalf, W., Melissinos, A., Alspector, J., Borenstein, S., Kalbfleisch, G., Strand, R., & Abashian, A. (1980). On the polarization of low mass dimuons produced in hadronic interactions. "Physics Letters, Section B: Nuclear, Elementary Particle and High-Energy Physics", 95 (3-4), 457-460. https://doi.org/10.1016/0370-2693(80)90189-6