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Precision measurement of the proton neutral weak form factors at Q2 ∼ 0.1 GeV2

Lisa J Kaufman, University of Massachusetts - Amherst

Abstract

This thesis reports the HAPPEX measurement of the parity-violating asymmetry for longitudinally polarized electrons elastically scattered from protons in a liquid hydrogen target. The measurement was carried out in Hall A at Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility using a beam energy E = 3 GeV and scattering angle 〈&thetas;lab〉 = 6°. The asymmetry is sensitive to the weak neutral form factors from which we extract the strange quark electric and magnetic form factors ( GsE and GsM ) of the proton. The measurement was conducted during two data-taking periods in 2004 and 2005. This thesis describes the methods for controlling the helicity-correlated beam asymmetries and the analysis of the raw asymmetry. The parity-violating asymmetry has been measured to be APV = -1.14 ± 0.24 (stat) ± 0.06 (syst) ppm at 〈Q 2〉 = 0.099 GeV2 (2004), and APV = -1.58 ± 0.12 (stat) ± 0.04 (syst) ppm at 〈Q 2〉 = 0.109 GeV2 (2005). The strange quark form factors extracted from the asymmetry are GsE + 0.080 GsM = 0.030 ± 0.025 (stat) ± 0.006 (syst) ± 0.012 (FF) (2004) and GsE + 0.088 GsM = 0.007 ± 0.011 (stat) ± 0.004 (syst) ± 0.005 (FF) (2005). These results place the most precise constraints on the strange quark form factors and indicate little strange dynamics in the proton.^

Subject Area

Physics, Nuclear

Recommended Citation

Lisa J Kaufman, "Precision measurement of the proton neutral weak form factors at Q2 ∼ 0.1 GeV2" (January 1, 2007). Electronic Doctoral Dissertations for UMass Amherst. Paper AAI3254934.
http://scholarworks.umass.edu/dissertations/AAI3254934



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