Measurement of the proton scalar polarizabilities at MAMI

The electric (α_E1) and magnetic (β_M1) scalar polarizabilities are fundamental properties related to the internal structure of the nucleon. They play a crucial role not only in our understanding of the nucleon, but also in other areas such as atomic physics, where they provide e.g. corrections to the Lamb Shift. In order to determine the scalar polarizabilities of the proton, the beam asymmetry Σ₃ was measured, for the first time for the Compton scattering, below the pion photoproduction threshold. The measurement was performed at the MAMI accelerator facility in Mainz. The linearly polarized primary photons impinged on a liquid hydrogen target and the outgoing particles were detected in a nearly 4π detector setup, composed by Crystall Ball and TAPS calorimeters. In this talk the results on the Compton scattering beam asymmetry Σ₃ and their influence on the extraction of α_E1 and β_M1 are discussed.