Extraction of Deep Inelastic Cross Sections Using a 10.4 GeV Electron Beam and a Polarized Helium-3 Target

Author

Murchhana Roy, University of KentuckyFollow

Author ORCID Identifier

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0318-7080

Date Available

5-17-2022

Year of Publication

2022

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Document Type

Doctoral Dissertation

College

Arts and Sciences

Department/School/Program

Physics and Astronomy

First Advisor

Dr. Wolfgang Korsch

Abstract

Experiment E12-06-121 at Jefferson Lab aims to do a precision measurement of the neutron spin structure function g₂ using inclusive inelastic scattering of electrons over a large kinematic range of x and Q². The third moment of the linear combination of the spin structure functions g₁ and g₂, d₂, is one of the cleanest higher twist observables and contains information on quark-gluon correlations. It is connected to the "color polarizability" or "color Lorentz force" of the nucleon. The experimental data taking was successfully conducted in Hall C using a longitudinally polarized electron beam with 10.4 GeV energy, and a polarized ³He gas target. The combination of the Super High Momentum Spectrometer (SHMS) and the High Momentum Spectrometer (HMS) allowed us to run the experiment for three constant Q² values (3.0, 4.3, and 5.6 GeV²/c²) over a wide range of x (0.20 < x < 0.95) for the first time. To extract the neutron spin structure functions, precision determination of the unpolarized cross-sections and double spin asymmetries are required. The analysis of the deep inelastic scattering data and the results from the first measurements of unpolarized ³He cross-sections are reported in this work. The extracted cross-sections will be combined with the electron asymmetry results (ongoing work) to obtain the g₂ and d₂ of ³He. Finally, nuclear correction to the ³He results will have to be applied to extract g₂ and d₂ for the neutrons.

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

https://doi.org/10.13023/etd.2022.147

Funding Information

This study was supported by the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Nuclear Physics under Contract No. DEFG02-99ER41101 from 2017 to 2022 and the Max Steckler Fellowship in 2017.

Recommended Citation

Roy, Murchhana, "Extraction of Deep Inelastic Cross Sections Using a 10.4 GeV Electron Beam and a Polarized Helium-3 Target" (2022). Theses and Dissertations--Physics and Astronomy. 94.
https://uknowledge.uky.edu/physastron_etds/94