# Exclusive $\bm{\pi^{0}p}$ electroproduction off protons in the resonance region at photon virtualities 0.4~GeV$\bm{^{2}}$ $\bm{\leq~ Q^{2} \leq~1}$~GeV$\bm{^{2}}$

## TL;DR

This study measured exclusive $m{ ext{pi}^0}$ electroproduction off protons at low to moderate photon virtualities, providing high-precision data across a broad kinematic range to explore nucleon resonance structures.

## Contribution

It presents a comprehensive dataset of cross sections and structure functions for $m{ ext{pi}^0}$ electroproduction, enabling detailed analysis of high-lying nucleon and delta resonances and their electrocouplings.

## Key findings

- High-statistics measurement of 36,000 cross sections.
- Sensitivity to resonances with masses above 1.6 GeV.
- Data supports extraction of resonance electrocouplings.

## Abstract

The exclusive electroproduction process $ep \rightarrow e'p'\pi^{0}$ was measured in the range of photon virtualities $Q^{2} = 0.4 - 1.0$~GeV$^{2}$ and the invariant mass range of the $p\pi^{0}$ system of $W = 1.1 - 1.8$~GeV. These kinematics are covered in exclusive $\pi^{0}$ electroproduction off the proton with nearly complete angular coverage in the $p\pi^{0}$ center-of-mass system and with high statistical accuracy. Nearly 36000 cross section points were measured, and the structure functions $\sigma_T+\epsilon\sigma_L$, $\sigma_{LT}$, and $\sigma_{TT}$, were extracted via fitting the $\phi_{\pi^{0}}$ dependence of the cross section. A Legendre polynomial expansion analysis demonstrates the sensitivity of our data to high-lying $N^*$ and $\Delta^{*}$ resonances with $M~>~1.6$ GeV. As part of a broad effort to determine the electrocouplings of the $N^{*}$ and $\Delta^{*}$ resonances using both single- and double-pion electroproduction, this dataset is crucial for the reliable extraction of the high-lying resonance electrocouplings from the combined isospin analysis of the $N \pi$ and $\pi^{+}\pi^{-} p$ channels.