The f1(1285) meson with mass 1281.0 ± 0.8 MeV/c 2 and width 18.4 ± 1.4 MeV (FWHM) was measured for the first time in photoproduction from a proton target using CLAS at Jefferson Lab. Differential cross sections were obtained via the ηπ + π − , K +K 0 π − , and K − K 0 π + decay channels from threshold up to a center-of-mass energy of 2.8 GeV. The mass, width, and an amplitude analysis of the ηπ + π − final-state Dalitz distribution are consistent with the axial-vector J P = 1 + f1(1285) identity, rather than the pseudoscalar 0 − η(1295). The production mechanism is more consistent with s-channel decay of a high-mass N * state, and not with t-channel meson exchange. Decays to ηππ go dominantly via the intermediate a ± 0 (980)π ∓ states, with the branching ratio Γ(a0π (noKK))/Γ(ηππ (all)) = 0.74±0.09. The branching ratios Γ(KKπ)/Γ(ηππ) = 0.216±0.033 and Γ(γρ 0 )/Γ(ηππ) = 0.047 ± 0.018 were also obtained. The first is in agreement with previous data for the f1(1285), while the latter is lower than the world average.

Differential cross sections of the exclusive process ep → e π + n were measured with good precision in the range of the photon virtuality Q 2 = 1.8 − 4.5 GeV 2 , and the invariant mass range of the π + n final state W = 1.6 − 2.0 GeV using the CEBAF Large Acceptance Spectrometer. Data were collected with nearly complete coverage in the azimuthal and polar angles of the nπ + center-of-mass system. More than 37,000 cross section points were measured. The contributions of the isospin I = + resonance our analysis shows significant strength for the A 1/2 amplitude at Q 2 < 2.5 GeV 2 .

Background: Measurements of polarization observables for the reactions γ p → K + and γ p → K + 0 have been performed. This is part of a program of measurements designed to study the spectrum of baryon resonances in particular, and nonperturbative QCD in general. Purpose: The accurate measurement of several polarization observables provides tight constraints for phenomenological fits, which allow the study of strangeness in nucleon and nuclear systems. Beam-recoil observables for the γ p → K + 0 reaction have not been reported before now. Method: The measurements were carried out using linearly polarized photon beams incident on a liquid hydrogen target, and the CLAS detector at the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility. The energy range of the results is 1.71 < W < 2.19 GeV, with an angular range −0.75 < cos θ K < +0.85. Results: The observables extracted for both reactions are beam asymmetry , target asymmetry T , and the beam-recoil double polarization observables O x and O z .

A spectroscopy of a 10 Λ Be hypernucleus was carried out at JLab Hall C using the (e, e ′ K + ) reaction. A new magnetic spectrometer system (SPL+HES+HKS), specifically designed for high resolution hypernuclear spectroscopy, was used to obtain an energy spectrum with a resolution of ∼ 0.78 MeV (FWHM). The well-calibrated spectrometer system of the present experiment using p(e, e ′ K + )Λ,Σ 0 reactions allowed us to determine the energy levels, and the binding energy of the ground state peak (mixture of 1 − and 2 − states) was obtained to be B Λ = 8.55 ± 0.07(stat.) ± 0.11(sys.) MeV. The result indicates that the ground state energy is shallower than that of an emulsion study by about 0.5 MeV which provides valuable experimental information on Charge Symmetry Breaking (CSB) effect in the ΛN interaction.

Results are presented for the first measurement of the double-polarization helicity asymmetry E for the eta photoproduction reaction gamma p -> eta p. Data were obtained using the FROzen Spin Target (FROST) with the CLAS spectrometer in Hall B at Jefferson Lab, covering a range of center-of-mass energy W from threshold to 2.15 GeV and a large range in center-of-mass polar angle. As an initial application of these data, the results have been incorporated into the Julich-Bonn model to examine the case for the existence of a narrow N* resonance between 1.66 and 1.70 GeV. The addition of these data to the world database results in marked changes in the predictions for the Eobservable from that model. Further comparison with several theoretical approaches indicates these data will significantly enhance our understanding of nucleon resonances. (C) 2016 Published by Elsevier B.V