This paper describes a precise measurement of electron scattering off the proton at momentum transfers of 0.003 Q 2 1 GeV 2 . The average point-to-point error of the cross sections in this experiment is ∼0.37%. These data are used for a coherent new analysis together with all world data of unpolarized and polarized electron scattering from the very smallest to the highest momentum transfers so far measured. The extracted electric and magnetic form factors provide new insight into their exact shape, deviating from the classical dipole form, and of structure on top of this gross shape. The data reaching very low Q 2 values are used for a new determination of the electric and magnetic radii. An empirical determination of the two-photon-exchange correction is presented. The implications of this correction on the radii and the question of a directly visible signal of the pion cloud are addressed.

New precise results of a measurement of the elastic electron-proton scattering cross section performed at the Mainz Microtron MAMI are presented. About 1400 cross sections were measured with negative four-momentum transfers squared up to Q² = 1 (GeV/c)² with statistical errors below 0.2%. The electric and magnetic form factors of the proton were extracted by fits of a large variety of form factor models directly to the cross sections. The form factors show some features at the scale of the pion cloud. The charge and magnetic radii are determined to be ½ = 0.879(5)stat(4)syst(2)model(4)group fm and ½ = 0.777(13)stat(9)syst(5)model(2)group fm.

The first measurement of transverse-spin-dependent azimuthal asymmetries in the pion-induced Drell-Yan (DY) process is reported. We use the CERN SPS 190  GeV/c π^{-} beam and a transversely polarized ammonia target. Three azimuthal asymmetries giving access to different transverse-momentum-dependent (TMD) parton distribution functions (PDFs) are extracted using dimuon events with invariant mass between 4.3  GeV/c^{2} and 8.5  GeV/c^{2}. Within the experimental uncertainties, the observed sign of the Sivers asymmetry is found to be consistent with the fundamental prediction of quantum chromodynamics (QCD) that the Sivers TMD PDFs extracted from DY have a sign opposite to the one extracted from semi-inclusive deep-inelastic scattering (SIDIS) data. We present two other asymmetries originating from the pion Boer-Mulders TMD PDFs convoluted with either the nucleon transversity or pretzelosity TMD PDFs. A recent COMPASS SIDIS measurement was obtained at a hard scale comparable to that of these DY results. This opens the way for possible tests of fundamental QCD universality predictions.

We have performed the most comprehensive resonance-model fit of π − π − π þ states using the results of our previously published partial-wave analysis (PWA) of a large data set of diffractive-dissociation events from the reaction π − þ p → π − π − π þ þ p recoil with a 190 GeV=c pion beam. The PWA results, which were obtained in 100 bins of three-pion mass, 0.5 < m 3π < 2.5 GeV=c 2 , and simultaneously in 11 bins of the reduced four-momentum transfer squared, 0.1 < t 0 < 1.0 ðGeV=cÞ 2 , are subjected to a resonance-model fit using Breit-Wigner amplitudes to simultaneously describe a subset of 14 selected waves using 11 isovector light-meson states with J PC ¼ 0 −þ , 1 þþ , 2 þþ , 2 −þ , 4 þþ , and spin-exotic 1 −þ quantum numbers. The model contains the well-known resonances πð1800Þ, a 1 ð1260Þ, a 2 ð1320Þ, π 2 ð1670Þ, π 2 ð1880Þ, and a 4 ð2040Þ. In addition, it includes the disputed π 1 ð1600Þ, the excited states a 1 ð1640Þ, a 2 ð1700Þ, and π 2 ð2005Þ, as well as the resonancelike a 1 ð1420Þ. We measure the resonance parameters mass and width of these objects by combining the information from the PWA results obtained in the 11 t 0 bins. We extract the relative branching fractions of the ρð770Þπ and f 2 ð1270Þπ decays of a 2 ð1320Þ and a 4 ð2040Þ, where the former one is measured for the first time. In a novel approach, we extract the t 0 dependence of the intensity of the resonances and of their phases. The t 0 dependence of the intensities of most resonances differs distinctly from the t 0 dependence of the nonresonant components. For the first time, we determine the t 0 dependence of the phases of the production amplitudes and confirm that the production mechanism of the Pomeron exchange is common to all resonances. We have performed extensive systematic studies on the model dependence and correlations of the measured physical parameters.

The COMPASS collaboration has collected the currently largest data set on diffractively produced π − π − π þ final states using a negative pion beam of 190 GeV=c momentum impinging on a stationary proton target. This data set allows for a systematic partial-wave analysis in 100 bins of three-pion mass, 0.5 < m 3π < 2.5 GeV=c 2 , and in 11 bins of the reduced four-momentum transfer squared, 0.1 < t 0 < 1.0 ðGeV=cÞ 2. This two-dimensional analysis offers sensitivity to genuine one-step resonance production, i.e. the production of a state followed by its decay, as well as to more complex dynamical effects in nonresonant 3π production. In this paper, we present detailed studies on selected 3π partial waves with J PC ¼ 0 −þ , 1 þþ , 2 −þ , 2 þþ , and 4 þþ. In these waves, we observe the well-known groundstate mesons as well as a new narrow axial-vector meson a 1 ð1420Þ decaying into f 0 ð980Þπ. In addition, we present the results of a novel method to extract the amplitude of the π − π þ subsystem with I G J PC ¼ 0 þ 0 þþ in various partial waves from the π − π − π þ data. Evidence is found for correlation of the f 0 ð980Þ and f 0 ð1500Þ appearing as intermediate π − π þ isobars in the decay of the known πð1800Þ and π 2 ð1880Þ.

The COMPASS Collaboration at CERN has measured diffractive dissociation of 190  GeV/c pions into the π(-)π(-)π(+) final state using a stationary hydrogen target. A partial-wave analysis (PWA) was performed in bins of 3π mass and four-momentum transfer using the isobar model and the so far largest PWA model consisting of 88 waves. A narrow peak is observed in the f0(980)π channel with spin, parity and C-parity quantum numbers J(PC)=1(++). We present a resonance-model study of a subset of the spin-density matrix selecting 3π states with J(PC)=2(++) and 4(++) decaying into ρ(770)π and with J(PC)=1(++) decaying into f0(980)π. We identify a new a1 meson with mass (1414(-13)(+15))  MeV/c2 and width (153(-23)(+8))  MeV/c2. Within the final states investigated in our analysis, we observe the new a1(1420) decaying only into f0(980)π, suggesting its exotic nature.

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The COMPASS experiment at the CERN SPS has studied the diffractive dissociation of negative pions into the π- π- π+ final state using a 190  GeV/c pion beam hitting a lead target. A partial wave analysis has been performed on a sample of 420,000 events taken at values of the squared 4-momentum transfer t' between 0.1 and 1  GeV2/c2. The well-known resonances a1(1260), a2(1320), and π2(1670) are clearly observed. In addition, the data show a significant natural-parity exchange production of a resonance with spin-exotic quantum numbers J(PC)=1-+ at 1.66  GeV/c2 decaying to ρπ. The resonant nature of this wave is evident from the mass-dependent phase differences to the J(PC)=2-+ and 1++ waves. From a mass-dependent fit a resonance mass of (1660±10(-64)(+0))  MeV/c2 and a width of (269±21(-64)(+42))  MeV/c2 are deduced, with an intensity of (1.7±0.2)% of the total intensity.