Threshold photoproduction of neutral pions off protons in nuclear model with explicit mesons

TL;DR

This paper applies a nuclear model with explicit mesons to study the threshold photoproduction of neutral pions off protons, successfully reproducing experimental cross sections and exploring parameter ranges.

Contribution

It introduces a nuclear model where nucleons emit and absorb mesons explicitly, providing a new approach to pion photoproduction near threshold.

Findings

The model accurately reproduces experimental cross sections.

Parameter ranges are identified where the model aligns with experimental data.

Explicit meson treatment offers a viable alternative to potential-based interactions.

Abstract

We apply the nuclear model with explicit mesons to photoproduction of neutral pions off protons at the threshold. In this model the nucleons do not interact with each other via a potential but rather emit and absorb mesons that are treated explicitly on equal footing with the nucleons. We calculate the total cross section of the reaction for energies close to threshold and compare the calculations with available experimental data. We show that the model is able to reproduce the experimental data and determine the range of the parameters where the model is compatible with the experiment.