Tensor analyzing powers in forward angle exclusive $\pi$-meson photoproduction on deuteron

Abstract

The target tensor analyzing powers of the process $\gamma d -> \pi^{-}pp$ had been studied in the plane wave impulse approximation, if both ejected protons are detected in coincidence and in the directions, symmetrical respect to the incoming photon momentum, being in the proton plane. The matrix elements of the studied reaction become essentially simple, if the magnitudes of the proton momenta p1 = p2 = p are equal. That proton kinematics keeps the ejected pion angle near zero, therefore the one body pion production operator does not include the spin-non-flip term. Moreover, the transition to the triplet, spatially antisymmetric final pp- state is strongly suppressed from the symmetrical deuteron S - state as well as matrix elements have a large dependence from the orientation of the deuteron spin. The values of the $T_{22}(\vec p)$ component, calculated with three realistic deuteron wave functions in the proton momentum region p >= 350 MeV/c and proton polar angle theta >= 40 deg., differ one from another noticeably.