V. Utkin | Search arXiv

arXiv2011

Determination of $\pi\pi$ scattering lengths from measurement of $\pi^+\pi^-$ atom lifetime

The DIRAC experiment at CERN has achieved a sizeable production of $\pi^+\pi^-$ atoms and has significantly improved the precision on its lifetime determination. From a sample of 21227 atomic pairs, a 4% measurement of the S-wave $\pi\pi$ scattering length difference $|a_0-a_2| = (.0.2533^{+0.0080}_{-0.0078}|_\mathrm{stat}.{}^{+0.0078}_{-0.0073}|_\mathrm{syst})M_{\pi^+}^{-1}$ has been attained, providing an important test of Chiral Perturbation Theory.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2009

Evidence for $πK$-atoms with DIRAC

We present evidence for the first observation of electromagnetically bound $π^\pm K^\mp$-pairs ($πK$-atoms) with the DIRAC experiment at the CERN-PS. The $πK$-atoms are produced by the 24 GeV/c proton beam in a thin Pt-target and the $π^\pm$ and $K^\mp$-mesons from the atom dissociation are analyzed in a two-arm magnetic spectrometer. The observed enhancement at low relative momentum corresponds to the production of 173 $\pm$ 54 $πK$-atoms. The mean life of $πK$-atoms is related to the s-wave $πK$-scattering lengths, the measurement of which is the goal of the experiment. From these first data we derive a lower limit for the mean life of 0.8 fs at 90% confidence level.

hep-ex↗