First Measurement of Chiral Dynamics in \pi^- \gamma -> \pi^- \pi^- \pi^+

TL;DR

This study provides the first experimental measurement of chiral dynamics in the    reaction at low energies, confirming predictions of chiral perturbation theory with high precision.

Contribution

It presents the first measurement of the    reaction at low energies and compares results with chiral perturbation theory predictions.

Findings

Good agreement with chiral perturbation theory across the energy range.

Absolute cross section measured with 20% precision.

First experimental validation of chiral dynamics in this reaction.

Abstract

The COMPASS collaboration at CERN has investigated the \pi^- \gamma -> \pi^- \pi^- \pi^+ reaction at center-of-momentum energy below five pion masses, sqrt(s) < 5 m(\pi), embedded in the Primakoff reaction of 190 GeV pions impinging on a lead target. Exchange of quasi-real photons is selected by isolating the sharp Coulomb peak observed at smallest momentum transfers, t' < 0.001 (GeV/c)^2. Using partial-wave analysis techniques, the scattering intensity of Coulomb production described in terms of chiral dynamics and its dependence on the 3\pi-invariant mass m(3\pi) = sqrt(s) were extracted. The absolute cross section was determined in seven bins of $\sqrt{s}$ with an overall precision of 20%. At leading order, the result is found to be in good agreement with the prediction of chiral perturbation theory over the whole energy range investigated.