Photoproduction of $\omega$ mesons on nuclei near the production threshold

TL;DR

This study investigates the photoproduction of omega mesons on different nuclei near the threshold energy, finding no significant in-medium modifications of the omega line shape within the experimental sensitivity.

Contribution

It provides experimental data on omega meson production on various nuclei near threshold, testing predictions of in-medium modifications.

Findings

No significant difference in omega line shape between LH_2 and Nb targets.

Data consistent with transport calculations predicting in-medium effects.

Results constrain models of meson-nucleus interactions near threshold.

Abstract

The photoproduction of $\omega$ mesons on LH_2, C and Nb has been studied for incident photon energies from 900 to 1300 MeV using the CB/TAPS detector at ELSA. The $\omega$ line shape does not show any significant difference between the LH_2 and the Nb targets. The data are compared with results of transport calculations that predict a sensitivity of the $\omega$ line shape to in-medium modifications near the production threshold on a free nucleon of $E_{\gamma}^{lab}$ = 1109 MeV.}