Among the most fundamental observables of nucleon structure, electromagnetic form factors are a crucial benchmark for modern calculations describing the strong interaction dynamics of the nucleon's quark constituents; indeed, recent proton data have attracted intense theoretical interest. In this Letter, we report new measurements of the proton electromagnetic form factor ratio using the recoil polarization method, at momentum transfers Q2=5.2, 6.7, and 8.5  GeV2. By extending the range of Q2 for which G(E)(p) is accurately determined by more than 50%, these measurements will provide significant constraints on models of nucleon structure in the nonperturbative regime.

Intensive theoretical and experimental efforts over the past decade have aimed at explaining the discrepancy between data for the proton electric to magnetic form factor ratio, G(E)/G(M), obtained separately from cross section and polarization transfer measurements. One possible explanation for this difference is a two-photon-exchange contribution. In an effort to search for effects beyond the one-photon-exchange or Born approximation, we report measurements of polarization transfer observables in the elastic H(e[over →],e(')p[over →]) reaction for three different beam energies at a Q(2)=2.5  GeV(2), spanning a wide range of the kinematic parameter ε. The ratio R, which equals μ(p)G(E)/G(M) in the Born approximation, is found to be independent of ε at the 1.5% level. The ε dependence of the longitudinal polarization transfer component P(ℓ) shows an enhancement of (2.3±0.6)% relative to the Born approximation at large ε.

Exclusive and kinematically complete high-statistics measurements of quasifree polarized np scattering have been performed in the energy region of the narrow resonance-like structure d * with 2 I(J P ) = 0(3 + ), M ≈ 2380 MeV and Γ ≈ 70 MeV observed recently in the double-pionic fusion channels pn → dπ 0 π 0 and pn → dπ + π − . The experiment was carried out with the WASA detector setup at COSY having a polarized deuteron beam impinged on the hydrogen pellet target and utilizing the quasifree process dp → np + pspectator. This allowed the np analyzing power, Ay, to be measured over a broad angular range. The obtained Ay angular distributions deviate systematically from the current SAID SP07 NN partial-wave solution. Incorporating the new Ay data into the SAID analysis produces a pole in the 3 D3 − 3 G3 waves in support of the d * resonance hypothesis.

Exclusive measurements of the quasi-free np → npπ 0 π 0 reaction have been performed by means of dp collisions at T d = 2.27 GeV using the WASA detector setup at COSY. Total and differential cross sections have been obtained covering the energy region √ s = (2.35-2.46) GeV, which includes the region of the ABC effect and its associated d * (2380) resonance. Adding the d * resonance amplitude to that for the conventional processes leads to a reasonable description of the data. The observed resonance effect in the total cross section is in agreement with the predictions of Fäldt and Wilkin as well with those of Albadajedo and Oset. The ABC effect, i.e. the low-mass enhancement in the π 0 π 0 -invariant mass spectrum, is found to be very modest -if present at all, which might pose a problem to some of its interpretations.

New data on quasifree polarized neutron-proton scattering, in the region of the recently observed d * resonance structure, have been obtained by exclusive and kinematically complete high-statistics measurements with WASA at COSY. This paper details the determination of the beam polarization, 2 checks of the quasifree character of the scattering process, on all obtained Ay angular distributions and on the new partial-wave analysis, which includes the new data producing a resonance pole in the 3 D3-3 G3 coupled partial waves at (2380±10−i40±5) MeV -in accordance with the d * dibaryon resonance hypothesis. The effect of the new partial-wave solution on the description of total and differential cross section data as well as specific combinations of spin-correlation and spin-transfer observables available from COSY-ANKE measurements at T d = 2.27 GeV is discussed.