Feasibility studies for nucleon structure measurements with PANDA

Abstract

The study of nucleon structure is one of the main physics goals of PANDA to be built at the FAIR accelerator complex. The excellent particle identification performance of the PANDA detector will enable measurements of exclusive channels p̄ p → e+e− and p̄ p → π0 J/ψ → π0e+e− to extract the electromagnetic form factors of protons and π-nucleon Transition Distribution Amplitudes (π-N TDAs). After a brief description of the PANDA apparatus and a method to handle momentum resolution degradation due to Bremsstrahlung, the physics of π-N TDAs is discussed. An estimate for the expected signal to background ratio for p̄ p → π0 J/ψ → π0e+e− that takes into account the main background source is given.