Neutron Structure Functions at Large Bjorken X

Abstract

The E12-10-002 (F2) experiment ran in Hall C at JLab to extract the F2 structure functions of proton and neutron from inclusive H(e, e0) and D(e, e0) reactions in the high Bjorken x region. Those extractions put constraints on the Parton Distribution Functions PDFs (especially at large Bjorken x), and facilitate the study of Quark Hadron Duality. The F2 experiment measurements covers a large kinematic range in x from 0.2 to 1.0, and in Q2 from 4 to 16 GeV2 . While the proton F2 structure function has been studied extensively through inelastic electron-proton scattering, much less is known about neutron structure due to the unavailability of high density, free neutron targets. The BONuS12 experiment was proposed to measure the neutron F2 on a nearly free neutron within a weakly bound deuteron target via the spectator tagging method. Tagging the slow backward moving spectator protons minimizes both off-shell and final-state interaction effects, and the measured proton momentum is used to correct for the initial-state momentum of the struck neutron. The recoil detector is used to detect spectator protons with momenta 70 < ps < 150 MeV/c. This dissertation outlines the design, construction and testing of the recoil detector, Radial Time Projection Chamber (RTPC) and discusses the results of the H(e, e0) and D(e, e0) cross sections and the F2 structure functions obtained from the Hall C F2 data analysis.