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At least 37 records · Page 2

From Elastic Scattering to Central Exclusive Production: Physics with Forward Protons at RHIC

In this work, we describe a physics program at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) with tagged forward protons. The program started with the proton-proton elastic scattering experiment (PP2PP), for which a set of Rosman Pot stations was built. The PP2PP experiment took data at RHIC as a dedicated experiment at the beginning of RHIC operations. To expand the physics program to include non-elastic channels with forward protons, like Central Exclusive Production (CEP), Central Production (CP) and Single Diffraction DIssociation (SD), the experiment with its equipment was merged with the STAR experiment at RHIC. Consequently the expanded program, which included both elastic and inelastic channels became part of the physics program and operations of the STAR experiment. In this paper we shall describe the physics results obtained by the PP2PP and STAR experiments to date.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

Evaluation of phase shifts for nonrelativistic elastic scattering using quantum computers

Simulations of scattering processes are essential in understanding the physics of our universe. Computing relevant scattering quantities from ab initio methods is extremely difficult on classical devices because of the substantial computational resources needed. Here, this work reports the development of an algorithm that makes it possible to obtain phase shifts for generic nonrelativistic elastic scattering processes on a quantum computer. This algorithm is based on extracting phase shifts from the direct implementation of the real-time evolution. The algorithm is improved by a variational procedure making it more accurate and resistant to the quantum noise. The reliability of the algorithm is first demonstrated by means of classical numerical simulations for different potentials and later tested on existing quantum hardware, specifically on IBM quantum processors.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Nonlocal Structure of the Leading Order ab initio Effective Potentials for Proton Elastic Scattering from Light Nuclei

Based on the spectator expansion of the multiple scattering series we employ a chiral next-to-next-to-leading order (NNLO) nucleon-nucleon interaction on the same footing in the structure as well as in the reaction calculation to obtain an in leading-order consistent effective potential for nucleon-nucleus elastic scattering, which includes the spin of the struck target nucleon. Here, as an example we present proton scattering off $^{12}$C.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

Characterisation of the dip-bump structure observed in proton–proton elastic scattering at $\sqrt{s}$ = 8 TeV

The TOTEM collaboration at the CERN LHC has measured the differential cross-section of elastic proton–proton scattering at √s = 8TeV in the squared four-momentum transfer range 0.2GeV 2 < |t| < 1.9GeV 2 . This interval includes the structure with a diffractive minimum (“dip”) and a secondary maximum (“bump”) that has also been observed at all other LHC energies, where measurements were made. A detailed characterisation of this structure for √s = 8 TeV yields the positions, |t| dip = (0.521 ± 0.007)GeV 2 and |t| bump = (0.695 ± 0.026)GeV 2 , as well as the cross-section values, dσ/dt| dip = (15.1 ± 2.5)μb/GeV 2 and dσ/dt| bump = (29.7 ± 1.8)μb/GeV 2 , for the dip and the bump, respectively.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Measurements of the Neutron Magnetic Form Factor and the Two-Photon Exchange Contribution to the Electron-Neutron Elastic Scattering Cross Section

The Super BigBite Spectrometer (SBS) program in Experimental Hall A of Jefferson Lab is a series of high-precision, large ?2 , electromagnetic form factor experiments. GMn and nTPE were the first two experiments of the SBS program and ran from Oc?tober 2021 through February 2022. Both experiments detect neutron-tagged ?(?, ???) and proton-tagged ?(?, ???) quasi-elastic electrons scattering from a deuterium tar?get. The GMn experiment is a measurement of the magnetic form factor of the neutron, ?? ?, via the ratio method over a ?2 range of 3.5 to 13.5 (GeV/c)2 . The nTPE experiment ran in-parallel with the GMn experiment and shared an overlap?ping kinematic point with GMn. nTPE extends the GMn experiment to assess the differences between Rosenbluth Slop and the single-photon exchange approximation. The nTPE experiment had two kinematic settings corresponding to different electron scatting angles at a fixed ?2 of 4.5 (GeV/c)? . Comparisons of nucleon form factor ratio measurements acquired through polarization transfer and LT separation reveal discrepancies as ?2 increases. Two-photon exchange is strongly favored as the reason for this discrepancy. ?? ? has been extracted at two kinematic settings corresponding to ?2 values of 3.0 and 4.5 (GeV/c)2 . Additionally, I will present an assessment of the differences between Rosenbluth Separation and single-photon exchange measure?ments.

Boyd III, John Alan↗

Comparing event generator predictions and ab-initio calculations of $\nu$-$^{12}$C neutral current quasi-elastic scattering at 1 GeV

The measurement of neutrino oscillations and exotic physics searches are important parts of the physics program in the near future, with new state-of-the-art experiments planned within the next decade. Future and modern experiments in these fields will make use of nuclear targets. Event Generators (EGs) are software used in the analysis of neutrino oscillation experiments. EGs use to predict kinematic observables for a range of neutrino energies. These simulations may lack physics captured by more rigorous theoretical calculations. This work compares EG performance to nuclear theory calculations by comparing observables generated in the two frameworks. We provide a common set of definitions between theory and experiment and assess the physics contained in EG simulations. Neutral current quasi-elastic (NCQE) scattering events for neutrinos and anti-neutrinos on a $^{12}$C target are simulated with a specific EG, NEUT, used by the T2K experiment for its analysis. The simulated cross sections are compared to analytic calculations from nuclear theory within the factorization scheme. We compare the NEUT implementation of two different models on nuclear spectral functions: the Relativistic Fermi Gas (RFG) and the correlated basis spectral function (CBF) to analytic calculations of the same models in the factorization scheme. For both nuclear physics models, we compare the appearance of features in the distributions relevant to experimental analyses. Qualitatively, the shape of the simulated distribution is similar to the one obtained through theory calculations; however, there are some discrepancies between the theory calculations and the NEUT simulation. While the EG simulations and analytic calculations with the same model of nuclear dynamics show similar overall features, there are still differences between the two.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Neutron elastic scattering on calcium isotopes from chiral nuclear optical potentials

We formulate microscopic neutron-nucleus optical potentials from many-body perturbation theory based on chiral two- and three-body forces. The neutron self-energy is first calculated in homogeneous matter to second order in perturbation theory, which gives the central real and imaginary terms of the optical potential. Here, the real spin-orbit term is calculated separately from the density matrix expansion using the same chiral interaction as in the self-energy. Finally, the full neutron-nucleus optical potential is derived within the improved local density approximation utilizing mean-field models consistent with the chiral nuclear force employed. We compare the results of the microscopic calculations to phenomenological models and experimental data up to projectile energies of E = 200 MeV. Experimental elastic differential scattering cross sections and vector analyzing powers are generally well reproduced by the chiral optical potential, but we find that total cross sections are overestimated at high energies.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

𝑅-matrix analysis of 22 Ne states populated in 18 O ⁡(𝛼,𝛼) resonant elastic scattering

The properties of resonances in the 18 O + 𝛼 interaction are important for analyses of astrophysical processes and for understanding of the development of the 𝛼-cluster structure with addition of neutrons to 4N nuclei. Previous high-energy resolution measurements have not been treated using the contemporary 𝑅-matrix approach. We have performed an 𝑅-matrix analysis of the resonant data [D. Powers, J. K. Bair, J. L. C. Ford, Jr., and H. B. Willard, Phys. Rev. 134, B1237 (1964)] and obtained new data on 15 levels in the excitation region of 11.7–12.5 MeV 22 Ne. It appears that the model calculations did not predict the observed tendency in the 20–22 Ne 𝛼 clustering. This paper is the first step of our program of investigation of the 22 Ne spectrum in resonant reactions.

6 ≤ A ≤ 19↗

Global fit of electron and neutrino elastic scattering data to determine the strange quark contribution to the vector and axial form factors of the nucleon

We present a global fit of neutral-current elastic (NCE) neutrino-scattering data and parity-violating electron-scattering (PVES) data with the goal of determining the strange quark contribution to the vector and axial form factors of the proton. Previous fits of this form included data from a variety of PVES experiments (PVA4, HAPPEx, G0, SAMPLE) and the NCE neutrino and anti-neutrino data from BNL E734. These fits did not constrain the strangeness contribution to the axial form factor G A s ( Q 2 ) at low Q 2 very well because there was no NCE data for Q 2 < 0.45 GeV 2 . Our new fit includes for the first time MiniBooNE NCE data from both neutrino and antineutrino scattering; this experiment used a hydrocarbon target and so a model of the neutrino interaction with the carbon nucleus was required. Three different nuclear models have been employed: a relativistic Fermi gas model, the superscaling approximation model, and a spectral function model. We find a tremendous improvement in the constraint of G A s ( Q 2 ) at low Q 2 compared to previous work, although more data is needed from NCE measurements that focus on exclusive single-proton final states, for example from MicroBooNE. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Structure of the Neutron with Quasi-Elastic Scattering from 3H and 3HE

The magnetic form factor characterizes the magnetic distribution inside the neutron and knowledge of it is essential for the understanding of the neutron structure. The E12-11-112 experiment aimed to measure the neutron magnetic form factor (GnM) from the 3H/3He cross sections ratio, in the Q2 range of 0.5 - 3 GeV2. Quasi-elastic (QE) electron scattering was used to probe nucleons on the nucleus of the mirror 3H and 3He nuclei, in Hall A at the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility (JLab). The use of the mirror nuclei ratio is a novel extraction that cancels several systematic uncertainties from the cross section effects in the ratio. The motivation of this measurement is the disagreement between the precision measurements among the Q2 range of 0.5 - 1 GeV2 in the worldwide data. A total of five Q2 points were taken between this region and four more were taken with a Q2>1 GeV2 in order to estimate the accuracy of the method. Ideally, the 3H/3He ratio should be enough to calculate the magnetic form factor, but due to nuclear effects, there will be a correction of up to 8 % depending on the Q2 value that has to be evaluated before the form factor extraction. The cross sections were measured with a point-to-point uncertainty of 3 - 4.5 %, and the ratios were also evaluated with an uncertainty of 1.5 - 3 %. Therefore, the preliminary studies of the Gn M are summarized, and from the present analysis, it can be concluded that the precision of the measurement in the region of interest will be of the order of 1.5%.

Santiesteban, Sandra↗

Gravothermal evolution of dark matter halos with differential elastic scattering

Here, we study gravothermal evolution of dark matter halos in the presence of differential self-scattering that has strong velocity and angular dependencies. We design controlled N-body simulations to model Rutherford and Møller scatterings in the halo, and follow its evolution in both core-expansion and -collapse phases. The simulations show the commonly-used transfer cross section underestimates the effects of dark matter self-interactions, but the viscosity cross section provides an accurate approximation for modeling angular-dependent dark matter scattering. We investigate thermodynamic properties of the halo, and find that the three moments of the Boltzmann equation under the fluid approximation are satisfied. We further propose a constant effective cross section, which integrates over the halo's characteristic velocity dispersion with weighting kernels motivated by kinetic theory of heat conduction. The effective cross section provides a good approximation to differential self-scattering for most of the halo evolution. It indicates that we can map astrophysical constraints on a constant self-interacting cross section to an SIDM model with velocity- and angular-dependent scatterings.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗