The \pi^+\pi^- Coulomb interaction study and its use in the data processing

TL;DR

This study investigates Coulomb correlations in pion pairs from proton-nickel collisions at 24 GeV/c, demonstrating that Coulomb pairs can be used to accurately calibrate detection efficiency for small-angle pairs.

Contribution

The paper introduces a method using Coulomb pairs to verify and correct detection efficiency, improving data analysis accuracy in pion pair experiments.

Findings

Coulomb pair distributions are simulated with better than 2% precision.

Coulomb pairs effectively calibrate detection efficiency at small angles.

The method enhances the reliability of experimental data interpretation.

Abstract

In this work the Coulomb effects (Coulomb correlations) in $\pi^+\pi^-$ pairs produced in p + Ni collisions at 24 GeV/$c$, are studied using experimental $\pi^+\pi^-$ pair distributions in $Q$, the relative momentum in the pair center of mass system (c.m.s), and its projections $Q_L$ (longitudinal component) and $Q_t$ (transverse component) relative to the pair direction in the laboratory system (l.s.). The $Q$, $Q_L$, and $Q_t$ distributions of the {\sl Coulomb pairs} in the c.m.s. have been simulated assuming they are described by the phase space modified by the known point-like Coulomb correlation function $A_C(Q)$, corrected for small effects due to the nonpoint-like pair production and the strong two-pion interaction. The same distributions of {\sl non-Coulomb pairs} have been simulated according to the phase space, but without $A_C(Q)$. It is shown that the number of {\sl Coulomb pairs} in all $Q_t$ intervals, including the small $Q_t$ (small opening angles $\theta$ in the l.s.) is calculated with the theoretical precision better than 2\%. The comparison of the simulated and experimental numbers of {\sl Coulomb pairs} at small $Q_t$ allows us to check and correct the detection efficiency for the pairs with small $\theta$ (0.06 mrad and smaller). It is shown that {\sl Coulomb pairs} can be used as a new physical tool to check and correct the quality of the simulated events. The special property of the {\sl Coulomb pairs} is the possibility of checking and correcting the detection efficiency, especially for the pairs with small opening angles.