Exclusive ${\pi}^0$ electroproduction at $W>2$ GeV with CLAS

Understand

Exclusive neutral-pion electroproduction ($ep\to e^\prime p^\prime \pi^0$) was measured at Jefferson Lab with a 5.75-GeV electron beam and the CLAS detector.

• Differential cross sections $d^4\sigma/dtdQ^2dx_Bd\phi_\pi$ and structure functions $\sigma_T+\epsilon\sigma_L, \sigma_{TT}$ and $\sigma_{LT}$ as functions of $t$ were obtained over a wide range of $Q^2$ and $x_B$.
• The data are compared with Regge and handbag theoretical calculations.
• Analyses in both frameworks find that a large dominance of transverse processes is necessary to explain the experimental results.