Electroproduction of π0-mesons on protons at very low values of |q 2|

Abstract

The electroproduction of π0-mesons on protons has been measured with electrons of 1.7 and 2.1 GeV energy in the region of the nucleon resonances at\(W = \sqrt {(q + p)^2 } = 1,400 - 2,000MeV\) at rather low values of |q2|=|(e−e′)2|=0.01–0.1 GeV2 but at high values of the nucleon recoil |t|=|(p−p′)2|≈0.6–2.2 GeV2 corresponding to\(\Theta _\pi ^{cm} \approx 145^ \circ - 180^ \circ\). Up toW≈1,650 MeV the cross section for π0-production with virtual photons of |q2|≈0.03 GeV2 is only slightly smaller than that with real photons. ForW≳1,700 MeV the cross section at |q2|≈0.03 GeV2 is on average a factor of 2 smaller than that atq2=0 but only slightly higher than that at |q2|≈0.3–1 GeV2.