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1. Measurement of the central exclusive production of charged particle pairs in proton-proton collisions at $$ \sqrt{s} $$ = 200 GeV with the STAR detector at RHIC

   https://doi.org/10.1007/JHEP07(2020)178  

   Adam, J.; Adamczyk, L.; Adams, J. R.; Adkins, J. K.; Agakishiev, G.; Aggarwal, M. M.; Ahammed, Z.; Alekseev, I.; Anderson, D. M.; Aparin, A.; et al (July 2020, Journal of High Energy Physics)

   null (Ed.)

   A bstract We report on the measurement of the Central Exclusive Production of charged particle pairs h + h − ( h = π, K, p ) with the STAR detector at RHIC in proton-proton collisions at $$ \sqrt{s} $$ s = 200 GeV. The charged particle pairs produced in the reaction pp → p ′ + h + h − + p ′ are reconstructed from the tracks in the central detector and identified using the specific energy loss and the time of flight method, while the forward-scattered protons are measured in the Roman Pot system. Exclusivity of the event is guaranteed by requiring the transverse momentum balance of all four final-state particles. Differential cross sections are measured as functions of observables related to the central hadronic final state and to the forward-scattered protons. They are measured in a fiducial region corresponding to the acceptance of the STAR detector and determined by the central particles’ transverse momenta and pseudorapidities as well as by the forward-scattered protons’ momenta. This fiducial region roughly corresponds to the square of the four-momentum transfers at the proton vertices in the range 0 . 04 GeV 2 < −t 1 , −t 2 < 0 . 2 GeV 2 , invariant masses of the charged particle pairs up to a few GeV and pseudorapidities of the centrally-produced hadrons in the range |η| < 0 . 7. The measured cross sections are compared to phenomenological predictions based on the Double Pomeron Exchange (DPE) model. Structures observed in the mass spectra of π + π − and K + K − pairs are consistent with the DPE model, while angular distributions of pions suggest a dominant spin-0 contribution to π + π − production. For π + π − production, the fiducial cross section is extrapolated to the Lorentz-invariant region, which allows decomposition of the invariant mass spectrum into continuum and resonant contributions. The extrapolated cross section is well described by the continuum production and at least three resonances, the f 0 (980), f 2 (1270) and f 0 (1500), with a possible small contribution from the f 0 (1370). Fits to the extrapolated differential cross section as a function of t 1 and t 2 enable extraction of the exponential slope parameters in several bins of the invariant mass of π + π − pairs. These parameters are sensitive to the size of the interaction region. 

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2. First Double-Differential Cross Section Measurement of Neutral-Current ${\pi }^0$ Production in Neutrino-Argon Scattering in the MicroBooNE Detector

   https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.134.161802  

   Abratenko, P; Alterkait, O; Andrade_Aldana, D; Arellano, L; Asaadi, J; Ashkenazi, A; Balasubramanian, S; Baller, B; Barnard, A; Barr, G; et al (April 2025, Physical Review Letters)

   We report the first double-differential cross section measurement of neutral-current neutral pion ( $\mathrm{NC}{\pi }^0$) production in neutrino-argon scattering, as well as single-differential measurements of the same channel in terms of final states with and without protons. The kinematic variables of interest for these measurements are the ${\pi }^0$momentum and the ${\pi }^0$scattering angle with respect to the neutrino beam. A total of 4971 candidate $\mathrm{NC}{\pi }^0$events fully contained within the MicroBooNE detector are selected using data collected at a mean neutrino energy of $\sim 0.8\mathrm{GeV}$from $6.4\times {10}^{20}$protons on target from the Booster Neutrino Beam at the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory. After extensive data-driven model validation to ensure unbiased unfolding, the Wiener-singular-value-decomposition method is used to extract nominal flux-averaged cross sections. The results are compared to predictions from commonly used neutrino event generators, which tend to overpredict the measured $\mathrm{NC}{\pi }^0$cross section, especially in the $0.2–0.5\mathrm{GeV}/\mathrm{c}$ ${\pi }^0$momentum range and at forward scattering angles. Events with at least one proton present in the final state are also underestimated. This data will help improve the modeling of $\mathrm{NC}{\pi }^0$production, which represents a major background in measurements of charge-parity violation in the neutrino sector and in searches for new physics beyond the standard model. 

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3. Experimental study of the $$ \gamma p \rightarrow K^{0}\Sigma^{+}$$, $$ \gamma n \rightarrow K^{0} \Lambda$$, and $$ \gamma n \rightarrow K^{0} \Sigma^{0}$$ reactions at the Mainz Microtron

   https://doi.org/10.1140/epja/i2019-12924-x  

   Akondi, C. S.; Bantawa, K.; Manley, D. M.; Abt, S.; Achenbach, P.; Afzal, F.; Aguar-Bartolomé, P.; Ahmed, Z.; Annand, J. R.; Arends, H. J.; et al (November 2019, The European Physical Journal A)

   null (Ed.)

   Abstract. This work measured $$ \mathrm{d}\sigma/\mathrm{d}\Omega$$ d σ / d Ω for neutral kaon photoproduction reactions from threshold up to a c.m. energy of 1855MeV, focussing specifically on the $$ \gamma p\rightarrow K^0\Sigma^+$$ γ p → K 0 Σ + , $$ \gamma n\rightarrow K^0\Lambda$$ γ n → K 0 Λ , and $$ \gamma n\rightarrow K^0 \Sigma^0$$ γ n → K 0 Σ 0 reactions. Our results for $$ \gamma n\rightarrow K^0 \Sigma^0$$ γ n → K 0 Σ 0 are the first-ever measurements for that reaction. These data will provide insight into the properties of $$ N^{\ast}$$ N * resonances and, in particular, will lead to an improved knowledge about those states that couple only weakly to the $$ \pi N$$ π N channel. Integrated cross sections were extracted by fitting the differential cross sections for each reaction as a series of Legendre polynomials and our results are compared with prior experimental results and theoretical predictions. 

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4. Coherent $$\mathrm{J}/\psi $$ and $${\uppsi '}$$ photoproduction at midrapidity in ultra-peripheral Pb–Pb  collisions at $$\sqrt{s_{\mathrm {NN}}}~=~5.02$$ TeV

   https://doi.org/10.1140/epjc/s10052-021-09437-6  

   Acharya, S.; Adamová, D.; Adler, A.; Adolfsson, J.; Rinella, G. Aglieri; Agnello, M.; Agrawal, N.; Ahammed, Z.; Ahmad, S.; Ahn, S. U.; et al (August 2021, The European Physical Journal C)

   Abstract The coherent photoproduction of $$\mathrm{J}/\psi $$ J / ψ and $${\uppsi '}$$ ψ ′ mesons was measured in ultra-peripheral Pb–Pb collisions at a center-of-mass energy $$\sqrt{s_{\mathrm {NN}}}~=~5.02$$ s NN = 5.02  TeV  with the ALICE detector. Charmonia are detected in the central rapidity region for events where the hadronic interactions are strongly suppressed. The $$\mathrm{J}/\psi $$ J / ψ is reconstructed using the dilepton ( $$l^{+} l^{-}$$ l + l - ) and proton–antiproton decay channels, while for the $${\uppsi '}$$ ψ ′   the dilepton and the $$l^{+} l^{-} \pi ^{+} \pi ^{-}$$ l + l - π + π - decay channels are studied. The analysis is based on an event sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of about 233 $$\mu {\mathrm{b}}^{-1}$$ μ b - 1 . The results are compared with theoretical models for coherent $$\mathrm{J}/\psi $$ J / ψ and $${\uppsi '}$$ ψ ′ photoproduction. The coherent cross section is found to be in a good agreement with models incorporating moderate nuclear gluon shadowing of about 0.64 at a Bjorken- x of around $$6\times 10^{-4}$$ 6 × 10 - 4 , such as the EPS09 parametrization, however none of the models is able to fully describe the rapidity dependence of the coherent $$\mathrm{J}/\psi $$ J / ψ cross section including ALICE measurements at forward rapidity. The ratio of $${\uppsi '}$$ ψ ′ to $$\mathrm{J}/\psi $$ J / ψ coherent photoproduction cross sections was also measured and found to be consistent with the one for photoproduction off protons. 

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5. First Simultaneous Measurement of Differential Muon-Neutrino Charged-Current Cross Sections on Argon for Final States with and without Protons Using MicroBooNE Data

   https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.133.041801  

   Abratenko, P; Alterkait, O; Andrade_Aldana, D; Arellano, L; Asaadi, J; Ashkenazi, A; Balasubramanian, S; Baller, B; Barr, G; Barrow, D; et al (July 2024, Physical Review Letters)

   We report the first double-differential neutrino-argon cross section measurement made simultaneously for final states with and without protons for the inclusive muon neutrino charged-current interaction channel. The proton kinematics of this channel are further explored with a differential cross section measurement as a function of the leading proton’s kinetic energy that extends across the detection threshold. These measurements use data collected with the MicroBooNE detector from $6.4\times {10}^{20}$protons on target from the Fermilab booster neutrino beam with a mean neutrino energy of $\sim 0.8\mathrm{GeV}$. Extensive data-driven model validation utilizing the conditional constraint formalism is employed. This motivates enlarging the uncertainties with an empirical reweighting approach to minimize the possibility of extracting biased cross section results. The extracted nominal flux-averaged cross sections are compared to widely used event generator predictions revealing severe mismodeling of final states without protons for muon neutrino charged-current interactions, possibly from insufficient treatment of final state interactions. These measurements provide a wealth of new information useful for improving event generators which will enhance the sensitivity of precision measurements in neutrino experiments. Published by the American Physical Society2024 

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