Measurement of the electromagnetic π⁰ transition form factor at space-like virtualities at MAMI

A measurement of the electromagnetic transition form factor (TFF) of the neutral pion in the space-like doubly-virtual regime via single-pion electroproduction is planned at the MAMI electron accelerator facility at Mainz, Germany. Measuring the electroproduction cross section off a highly charged target at low momentum transfer gives access to the so-called virtual Primakoff contribution, i.e. the meson production on the Coulomb field of the nucleus, which is proportional to the π⁰ TFF. The scattered electrons and the π⁰ decay photons will be detected with an electromagnetic calorimeter (EMC) placed at forward scattering angles, in order to exclusively reconstruct π⁰ production events. The experiment will be set up at the MAMI A1 electron scattering facility, upgraded within the phase 0 of the FAIR project with an adaptation of the backward EMC designed for the PANDA spectrometer. An overview of feasibility studies, both simulations and test measurements, will be given, and the current status of the experiment preparation reported.