Unitary model for the $\gamma p \to \gamma \pi^0 p$ reaction and the magnetic dipole moment of the $\Delta^+(1232)$

Abstract

Radiative pion photoproduction in the $\Delta(1232)$ resonance region is studied with the aim to access the $\Delta^+(1232)$ magnetic dipole moment. We present a unitary model of the $\gamma p \to \gamma \pi N$ ($\pi N = \pi^0 p, \pi^+ n$) reactions, where the $\pi N$ rescattering is included in an on-shell approximation. In this model, the low energy theorem which couples the $\gamma p \to \gamma \pi N$ process in the limit of a soft final photon to the $\gamma p \to \pi N$ process is exactly satisfied. We study the sensitivity of the $\gamma p \to \gamma \pi^0 p$ process at higher values of the final photon energy to the $\Delta^+(1232)$ magnetic dipole moment. We compare our results with existing data and give predictions for forthcoming measurements of angular and energy distributions. It is found that the photon asymmetry and a helicity cross section are particularly sensitive to the $\Delta^+$ magnetic dipole moment.