Exclusive π + electroproduction off the proton from low to high - t
Background: Measurements of exclusive meson production are a valuable tool in the study of hadronic structure. Specifically, one can discern the relevant degrees of freedom at different distance scales through these studies. Purpose: To study the transition between non-perturbative and perturbative Quantum Chromodyanmics as the square of four momentum transfer to the struck proton, –t, is increased. Method: Cross sections for the 1 H(e,e'π + )n reaction were measured over the –t range of 0.272 to 2.127 GeV 2 with limited azimuthal coverage at fixed beam energy of 4.709 GeV, Q 2 of 2.4 GeV 2 and W of 2.0 GeV at the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility (JLab) Hall C. Results: The –t dependence of the measured π + electroproduction cross section generally agrees with prior data from JLab Halls B and C. The data are consistent with a Regge amplitude based theoretical model, but show poor agreement with a Generalized Parton Distribution (GPD) based model. Conclusion: The agreement of cross sections with prior data suggests small contribution from the interference terms, and the confirmation of the change in t-slopes between the low- and high -–t regions previously observed in photoproduction indicates the changing nature of the electroproduction reaction in our kinematic regime.