Amplitude Analysis of $\omega\pi^0$ Photoproduction at GlueX

TL;DR

This paper presents an amplitude analysis of $oldsymbol{ ext{omega} ext{pi}^0}$ photoproduction at GlueX, aiming to identify and study excited light meson states and their interference patterns to test QCD predictions.

Contribution

It introduces a novel amplitude analysis method applied to GlueX data to disentangle overlapping meson states and measure their interference effects.

Findings

Preliminary results on interference between $b_1(1235)$ and an excited vector resonance.

Insights into the light-meson spectrum relevant for hybrid meson searches.

Supports the validation of Lattice QCD predictions in meson spectroscopy.

Abstract

Excited meson states can often lie hidden within mass spectra beneath more dominant resonances, making it difficult to extract their physical properties. We can unveil these states through amplitude analysis, which disentangles the overlapping states via fits to their unique production and decay angular distributions. Understanding the light-meson spectrum is essential for confirming Lattice QCD predictions, especially in regards to the search for possible hybrid mesons. The Gluonic Excitation (GlueX) experiment at Jefferson Lab aids this search by studying the production of excited light mesons in $\gamma p$ interactions in the 8.2 - 8.8 GeV photon-beam energy range. We show in these proceedings preliminary results of an amplitude analysis of a large $\omega\pi^0$ dataset, concentrating on measuring the interference between the $b_1(1235)$ and an excited $J^{PC}=1^{--}$ vector resonance.