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The SIDDHARTA experiment aims a precise measurement of K-series kaonic hydrogen x-rays and the first-ever measurement of the kaonic deuterium x-rays to determine the strong-interaction energy-level shifts and widths of the lowest lying atomic states. These measurements offer a unique possibility to precisely determine the isospin-dependent kaon-nucleon (KN) scattering lengths [1] which are directly connected with the physics of the KN interaction. Kaonic Helium transitions to the 2p level (L-lines) were as well measured. The experiment has been performed at the DAΦNE e+e- collider which produces the Φ-resonance. The resulting low energy negative charged kaons, coming from the Φ decay, are well suited to be stopped efficiently in a high density gas target for producing such kind of atoms. As x-ray detectors, we employed 144 Silicon Drift Detectors developed especially for this experiment, having good energy resolution of 140 eV FWHM at 6keV and time resolution of sub-micro seconds. The data taking was completed in November 2009. In this paper, an overview of this experiment and preliminary results are presented, together with future plans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present the analysis of data performed in order to identify the events of the γ + n → π- + p reaction obtained by bombarding a liquid Deuterium target with a polarised γ beam of 0.55-1.5 GeV at the Graal-experiment. We show the effect of different kinematic and hardware constraints used to reduce the contamination coming from the concurrent reaction channels. By the simulation we estimate the contamination degree due to the other reaction channels so we can test the reliability of our method. We describe a new three-dimensional cut based on the Fermi momentum reconstruction and its effect on the suppression of the concurrent double charged pion photoproduction. We present the preliminary beam asymmetry Σ of the π- fotoproduction off quasi-free neutron up to about θc.m., π- = 165° together with some theoretical multipolar analysis. For a comparison we also report the data present in literature on the same reaction for Eγ =850-1740 MeV and θc.m., π- ≤105°. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The preliminary results obtained by the GRAAL collaboration for the π0π+ photoproduction on the free and quasi-free proton (deuteron) at Eγ = 0.7-1.5 GeV are presented. The total cross section of the γp → π0π+n reaction and invariant mass spectra for the π+π0, π+n and π0n systems are presented in the photon energy range from 0.7 to 1.5 GeV. These results are in good agreement with the 2π-MAID calculations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The γp → η′p reaction was studied near the threshold, in the 1.44 GeV> Eγ < 1.55GeV energy range with the tagged photons of the former GRAAL experiment. The two neutral decays γγ(Γi/Γ = 2.10 ± 0.12%) and π0π0η(Γi/Γ = 20.7 ± 1.2%) were analized and preliminary results of the beam asymmetry were extracted together with the invariant masses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study of meson photoproduction on the nucleon is a very important tool to complete the puzzle of baryon excited states. GRAAL aim is the measurement of cross sections and of beam asymmetries for all the photonuclear reactions accessible in the energy range from 600 MeV up to 1.5 GeV. In the following preliminary results of the Σ beam asymmetry for ω photoproduction on the free proton in Hydrogen and on the quasi-free nucleon in Deuterium are shown. GRAAL is the first experiment in which both the charged and the radiative decay of ω meson are studied. Since the beam asymmetry is independent of the decay mode, the comparison of the results from the two channel allows an important check on data consistency. Results on the free proton are in good agreement with theoretical prediction from Zhao model and confirm the presence of P13(1720) state. The analysis performed for the radiative decay is applied to the process of ω photoproduction on the quasi free nucleon in Deuterium. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using a Deuterium target, the GRAAL experiment has collected meson photoproduction data. The data have been analysed in the quasi free regime. The results of the quasi free process on the proton reproduce quite well the results previously obtained with a Hydrogen target. The preliminary results on the quasi free neutron for π0 and η photoproduction are presented and discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this contribution, we will present our first preliminary measurement of the differential cross section for the reaction γn → ηn. Comparison of the reactions γ → ηp for free and bound proton (D2 target) will also be discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A polarised and tagged $\vec\gamma$ ray beam is produced at GRAAL by the Compton scattering of laser light on the high energy electron of the ESRF storage ring. We present results on the beam polarisation asymmetries and cross sections in the photoproduction of mesons on hydrogen and deuterium target in the energy region 500-1500 MeV. These very precise results cover the angular range 30°-150°, providing stringent constraints to theoretical models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have studied the angular fluctuations in the speed of light with respect to the apex of the dipole of Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) radiation using the experimental data obtained with GRAAL facility, located at the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF) in Grenoble. The measurements were based on the stability of the Compton edge of laser photons scattered on the 6 GeV monochromatic electron beam. The results enable one to obtain a conservative constraint on the anisotropy in the light speed variations Δc(θ)/c<3×10-12, i.e. with higher precision than from previous experiments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The SIDDHARTA experiment (SIlicon Drift Detector for Hadronic Atom Research by Timing Application) had the aim to perform kaonic atoms X-ray transitions measurements, to better understand aspects of the low-energy QCD in the strangeness sector. The experiment combined the excellent low-energy kaon beam generated at DAΦNE, allowing to use gaseous targets, with excellent fast X-rays detectors: Silicon Drift Detectors. SIDDHARTA was installed on DAΦNE in autumn 2008 and took data till late 2009. Apart of the kaonic hydrogen and kaonic deuterium measurements, we have performed the kaonic helium transitions to the 2p level (L-lines) measurements: for the first time in a gaseous target for helium4 and for the first time ever for kaonic helium3. The interest for such type of measurement was rather high, being it triggered by two reasons: the so-called "kaonic helium puzzle" (even if this was solved by KEK-PS E570 experiment, but a cross-check was useful) and some theoretical predictions of possible high energy shift (at the level of 10 eV). In this paper the preliminary results for the measurements to the 2p level (L-series) for kaonic helium4 and kaonic helium3 are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]