Measurement of exclusive omega electroproduction at HERA

Abstract

The exclusive electroproduction of omega mesons, ep -> e omega p, has been studied in the kinematic range 3<Q^2<20 GeV^2, 40<W<120 GeV and |t|<0.6 GeV^2 with the ZEUS detector at HERA using an integrated luminosity of 37.7 pb^{-1}. The omega mesons were identified via the decay omega -> pi^+pi^-pi^0. The exclusive (ep -> e omega p) cross section in the above kinematic region is 0.108 +- 0.014(stat.) +- 0.026(syst.) nb. The reaction ep -> e phi p, phi -> pi^+pi^-pi^0, has also been measured. The cross sections, as well as the cross-section ratios omega/rho and omega/phi, are presented as a function of W and Q^2. Thus, for the first time, the properties of omega electroproduction can be compared to those of rho^0, phi and J/psi electroproduction at high W.