Spin degrees and Polarization Observables in Electromagnetic Reactions

Abstract

After a brief introduction into the general importance of polarization observables for the analysis of a reaction, the basic density matrix formalism for the description of polarization phenomena is outlined and illustrated by explicit examples for spin one-half and one. Then various electromagnetic processes like photoreactions and electron scattering are discussed in some detail. Finally, the question of how to determine a complete set of polarization observables providing the maximum information on a reaction is considered.

Comments: Lectures delivered at the DAE-BRNS Workshop on Hadron Physics, AMU, Aligarh, India, Feb. 18-23, 2008. 24 pages, 13 figures, revtex4