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Monaghan, P.

Publications and source records attributed to Monaghan, P..

Extraction of the neutron F 2 structure function from inclusive proton and deuteron deep-inelastic scattering data

The available world deep-inelastic scattering (DIS) data on proton and deuteron structure functions F 2 p , F 2 d , and their ratios are leveraged to extract the free neutron F 2 n structure function, the F 2 n / F 2 p ratio, and associated uncertainties using the latest nuclear effect calculations in the deuteron. Special attention is devoted to the normalization of the proton and deuteron experimental datasets and to the treatment of correlated systematic errors, as well as the quantification of procedural and theoretical uncertainties. The extracted F 2 n dataset is utilized to evaluate the Q 2 dependence of the Gottfried sum rule and the nonsinglet F 2 p − F 2 n moments. To facilitate replication of our study, as well as for general applications, we provide a comprehensive DIS database including all recent Jefferson Lab 6 GeV measurements, the extracted F n 2 , a modified CTEQ-JLab global parton distribution function fit named CJ15nlo_mod, and grids with calculated proton, neutron, and deuteron DIS structure functions. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

New determination of the branching ratio of the structure dependent radiative K + → e + ν e γ

The branching ratio of the structure dependent (SD) radiative K + → e + ν e γ decay relative to that of the K + → e + ν e (γ) decay including the internal bremsstrahlung (IB) process (K e2 (γ) ) has been measured in the J-PARC E36 experiment using plastic scintillator/lead sandwich detectors, in contrast to the previous E36 measurement, which used a CsI(Tl) calorimeter. In the analysis, the effect of IB was also taken into account in the SD radiative decay as $K$$^{SD}_{e2γ(γ)}$. By combining the new data with the previous E36 result after revision for the IB correction for $K$$^{SD}_{e2γ(γ)}$, a new value Br($K$$^{SD}_{e2γ(γ)}$)/Br(Ke 2(γ) ) = 1.20 ± 0.07 has e2γ(γ) e2γ(γ) been determined. This is consistent with a recent lattice QCD calculation, but larger than the expectation of Chiral Perturbation Theory (ChPT) at order O(p 4 ) and the previous KLOE value. Using the method to relate form factor and branching ratio described in the KLOE paper, the present result is also consistent with the form factor prediction based on a gauged nonlocal chiral quark model, but larger than that from ChPT at order O(p 6 ).

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Search for a bound di-neutron by comparing 3 He(e,e'p)d and 3 H(e,e'p)X measurements

We report on a search for a bound di-neutron by comparing electron-induced proton-knockout $(e,e'p)$ measurements from Helium-3 ($^3$He) and Tritium ($^3$H). The measurements were performed at Jefferson Lab Hall A with a 4.326 GeV electron beam, and kinematics of large momentum transfer $Q^2 \approx 1.9$ (GeV/$c$)$^2$ and $x_B>1$, to minimize contributions from non quasi-elastic (QE) reaction mechanisms. Analyzing the measured $^3$He missing mass ($M_{miss}$) and missing energy ($E_{miss}$) distributions, we can distinguish the two-body break-up reaction, in which the residual proton-neutron system remains bound as a deuteron. In the $^3$H mirror case, under the exact same kinematic conditions, we do not identify a signature for a bound di-neutron with similar binding energy to that of the deuteron. We calculate exclusion limits as a function of the di-neutron binding energy and find that, for binding equivalent to the deuteron, the two-body break-up cross section on $^3$H is less than 0.9% of that on $^3$He in the measured kinematics at the 95% confidence level.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Proton form factor ratio μ p G E p / G M p from double spin asymmetry

We report the ratio of the electric and magnetic form factor of the proton, $\mu_p G_E^p/G_M^p$, has been measured for elastic electron-proton scattering with polarized beam and target up to four-momentum transfer squared, $Q^2=5.66$ (GeV/c)$^2$ using the double spin asymmetry for target spin orientation aligned nearly perpendicular to the beam momentum direction. This measurement of $\mu_p G_E^p/G_M^p$ agrees with the $Q^2$ dependence of previous recoil polarization data and reconfirms the discrepancy at high $Q^2$ between the Rosenbluth and the polarization-transfer method with a different measurement technique and systematic uncertainties uncorrelated to those of the recoil-polarization measurements. The form factor ratio at $Q^2$=2.06 (GeV/c)$^2$ has been measured as $\mu_p G_E^p/G_M^p = 0.720 \pm 0.176_{stat} \pm 0.039_{sys}$, which is in agreement with an earlier measurement with the polarized target technique at similar kinematics. The form factor ratio at $Q^2$=5.66 (GeV/c)$^2$ has been determined as $\mu_p G_E^p/G_M^p=0.244\pm0.353_{stat}\pm0.013_{sys}$, which represents the highest $Q^2$ reach with the double spin asymmetry with polarized target to date.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

Revealing Color Forces with Transverse Polarized Electron Scattering

The Spin Asymmetries of the Nucleon Experiment measured two double spin asymmetries using a polarized proton target and polarized electron beam at two beam energies, 4.7 and 5.9 GeV. A large acceptance open-configuration detector package identified scattered electrons at 40° and covered a wide range in Bjorken $\mathcal{x}$ (0.3< $\mathcal{x}$ <0.8). Proportional to an average color Lorentz force, the twist-3 matrix element, $\tilde{d}$$p\atop{2}$, was extracted from the measured asymmetries at Q 2 values ranging from 2.0 to 6.0 GeV 2 . The data display the opposite sign compared to most quark models, including the lattice QCD result, and an unexpected scale dependence. Moreover, when combined with the neutron data in the same Q 2 range the results suggest a flavor independent average color Lorentz force.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Extraction of the neutron electric form factor from measurements of inclusive double spin asymmetries

Background: Measurements of the neutron charge form factor, G$n\atop{E}$, are challenging because the neutron has no net charge. Additionally, measurements of the neutron form factors must use nuclear targets which require accurately accounting for nuclear effects. Extracting G$n\atop{E}$ with different targets and techniques provides an important test of our handling of these effects. Purpose: The goal of the measurement was to use an inclusive asymmetry measurement technique to extract the neutron charge form factor at a four-momentum transfer of 1 (GeV/c) 2 . This technique has very different systematic uncertainties than traditional exclusive measurements and thus serves as an independent check of whether nuclear effects have been taken into account correctly. Method: The inclusive quasielastic reaction 3 $→\atop{He}$ ($→\atop{e}$, e') was measured at Jefferson Laboratory. The neutron electric form factor, G$n\atop{E}$, was extracted at Q 2 = 0.98 ( GeV/c) 2 from ratios of electron-polarization asymmetries measured for two orthogonal target spin orientations. This Q 2 is high enough that the sensitivity to G$n\atop{E}$ is not overwhelmed by the neutron magnetic contribution, and yet low enough that explicit neutron detection is not required to suppress pion production. Results: The neutron electric form factor, G$n\atop{E}$, was determined to be 0.0414 ± 0.0077 ( stat ) ± 0.0022 ( syst ), providing the first high-precision inclusive extraction of the neutron's charge form factor. In conclusion: The use of the inclusive quasielastic 3 $→\atop{He}$ ($→\atop{e}$, e') with a four-momentum transfer near 1 (GeV/c) 2 has been used to provide a unique measurement of G$n\atop{E}$. This new result provides a systematically independent validation of the exclusive extraction technique results and implies that the nuclear corrections are understood. This is contrary to the proton form factor where asymmetry and differential cross section measurements have been shown to have large systematic differences.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

Design and performance of the spin asymmetries of the nucleon experiment

The Spin Asymmetries of the Nucleon Experiment (SANE) performed inclusive, double-polarized electron scattering measurements of the proton at the Continuous Electron Beam Facility at Jefferson Lab. A novel detector array observed scattered electrons of four-momentum transfer 2.5 < Q 2 < 6.5 GeV 2 and Bjorken scaling 0.3 < x < 0.8 from initial beam energies of 4.7 and 5.9 GeV. Employing a polarized proton target which could be rotated with respect to the incident electron beam, both parallel and near perpendicular spin asymmetries were measured, allowing model-independent access to transverse polarization observables A 1 , A 2 , g 1 , g 2 and moment d 2 of the proton. This article summarizes the operation and performance of the polarized target, polarized electron beam, and novel detector systems used during the course of the experiment, and describes analysis techniques utilized to access the physics observables of interest.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗

E00-110 experiment at Jefferson Lab Hall A: Deeply virtual Compton scattering off the proton at 6 GeV

We present final results on the photon electroproduction ($\vec{e}p\rightarrow ep\gamma$) cross section in the deeply virtual Compton scattering (DVCS) regime and the valence quark region from Jefferson Lab experiment E00-110. Results from an analysis of a subset of these data were published before, but the analysis has been improved which is described here at length, together with details on the experimental setup. Furthermore, additional data have been analyzed resulting in photon electroproduction cross sections at new kinematic settings, for a total of 588 experimental bins. Results of the $Q^2$- and $x_B$-dependences of both the helicity-dependent and helicity-independent cross sections are discussed. The $Q^2$-dependence illustrates the dominance of the twist-2 handbag amplitude in the kinematics of the experiment, as previously noted. Thanks to the excellent accuracy of this high luminosity experiment, it becomes clear that the unpolarized cross section shows a significant deviation from the Bethe-Heitler process in our kinematics, compatible with a large contribution from the leading twist-2 DVCS$^2$ term to the photon electroproduction cross section. The necessity to include higher-twist corrections in order to fully reproduce the shape of the data is also discussed. The DVCS cross sections in this study represent the final set of experimental results from E00-110, superseding the previous publication.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

Measurement of the target-normal single-spin asymmetry in quasielastic scattering from the reaction He 3 ↑ ( e , e ' )

We report the first measurement of the target single-spin asymmetry, Ay, in quasi-elastic scattering from the inclusive reaction 3 He↑ (e,e') on a 3 He gas target polarized normal to the lepton scattering plane. Assuming time-reversal invariance, this asymmetry is strictly zero for one-photon exchange. A non-zero A y can arise from the interference between the one- and two-photon exchange processes which is sensitive to the details of the sub-structure of the nucleon. An experiment recently completed at Jefferson Lab yielded asymmetries with high statistical precision at Q 2 = 0.13, 0.46 and 0.97 GeV 2 . These measurements demonstrate, for the first time, that the 3He asymmetry is clearly non-zero and negative with a statistical significance of (8-10)σ. Using measured proton-to- 3 He cross-section ratios and the effective polarization approximation, neutron asymmetries of -(1-3)% were obtained. The neutron asymmetry at high Q 2 is related to moments of the Generalized Parton Distributions (GPDs). Our measured neutron asymmetry at Q 2 =0.97 GeV 2 agrees well with a prediction based on two-photon exchange using a GPD model and in addition provides a new independent constraint on these distributions.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Precision Measurement of the p ( e , e ' p ) π 0 Reaction at Threshold

New results are reported from a measurement of $\pi^0$ electroproduction near threshold using the p(e, e´p) π⁰ reaction. The experiment was designed to determine precisely the energy dependence of $s-$ and $p-$wave electromagnetic multipoles as a stringent test of the predictions of Chiral Perturbation Theory (ChPT). The data were taken with an electron beam energy of 1192 MeV using a two-spectrometer setup in Hall A at Jefferson Lab. For the first time, complete coverage of the $\phi^*_{\pi}$ and $\theta^*_{\pi}$ angles in the $p \pi^0$ center-of-mass was obtained for invariant energies above threshold from 0.5 MeV up to 15 MeV. The 4-momentum transfer $Q^2$ coverage ranges from 0.05 to 0.155 (GeV/c)$^2$ in fine steps. A simple phenomenological analysis of our data shows strong disagreement with $p-$wave predictions from ChPT for $Q^2>0.07$ (GeV/c)$^2$, while the $s-$wave predictions are in reasonable agreement.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Measurement of Double-Polarization Asymmetries in the Quasielastic He → 3 ( e → , e ' d ) Process

We present a precise measurement of double-polarization asymmetries in the 3 He(e,e'd) reaction. This particular process is a uniquely sensitive probe of hadron dynamics in 3He and the structure of the underlying electromagnetic currents. The measurements have been performed in and around quasi-elastic kinematics at Q 2 =0.25(GeV/c) 2 for missing momenta up to 270MeV/c. The asymmetries are in fair agreement with the state-of-the-art calculations in terms of their functional dependencies on pm and omega, but are systematically offset. Beyond the region of the quasi-elastic peak, the discrepancies become even more pronounced. Thus, our measurements have been able to reveal deficiencies in the most sophisticated calculations of the three-body nuclear system, and indicate that further refinement in the treatment of their two- and/or three-body dynamics is required.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

Post-processing flame-retardant for polyurethane

Treatment of polyurethane form with elastomer formulation after processing makes foam fire resistant without compromising physical properties. In testing, once ignition source is removed, combustion stops. Treatment also prevents molten particle formation, generates no smoke or toxic gases in fire, and does not deteriorate under prolonged exposure to Sun.

Monaghan, P.↗