Update on the PrimEx-\textit{eta} Experiment at Jefferson Lab

ORAL

Abstract

The $\eta$ meson is an interesting probe of fundamental symmetries in low-energy QCD. In particular, its radiative decay width, $\Gamma(\eta\rightarrow\gamma\gamma)$, proceeds primarily through the chiral anomaly and can be calculated in the framework of chiral perturbation theory. A precision measurement of this quantity will test our understanding not only of the chiral anomaly in QCD, but also of the mixing between $\eta$ and $\eta'$ mesons. Additionally, a precision measurement of the radiative decay width can provide a model-independent means to extract the light-quark mass ratio. The decay width has been measured in the past in both fixed-target experiments utilizing the Primakoff effect, as well as $e^{+}e^{-}$ collider experiments, however the results from the two classes of experiments are in tension. To address this discrepancy and improve the overall precision of the $\eta\rightarrow\gamma\gamma$ decay width, the PrimEx-\textit{eta} experiment has been conducted in Hall D at Jefferson Lab over the course of three phases between 2019 and 2022. In this talk we will discuss the status of the analysis, including preliminary results of the $\eta$ meson photoproduction cross section on $^{4}$He and the experiment\textquotesingle s outlook.

Presenters

  • Andrew P Smith

    Duke University

Authors

  • Andrew P Smith

    Duke University

  • Viviana Andrea Arroyave Flechas

    Florida International University