Polarization Observables of pp -> pp pi0 Near Threshold

Abstract

With the aim to study spin dependence of pion production near threshold, an internal target facility and a forward detector have been installed in the Cooler synchrotron ring at IUCF. The detector system comprises scintillators and wire chambers. The target consists of a thin-walled open-ended storage cell into which polarized atomic hydrogen is injected. Using a stored and cooled, polarized proton beam, polarization observables of the reaction pp -> pp pi0 have been studied at energies between 21 and 55 MeV above the pion production threshold in the center of mass system. We report here measurements of the spin correlation parameters Axx and Ayy, and the analyzing power Ay, integrated over the pion polar angle.