arXiv subjects

C. Vidal

Publications and source records attributed to C. Vidal.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

The DarkLight Experiment at TRIUMF

This paper reports on the commissioning of the DarkLight experiment at the ARIEL superconducting electron linear accelerator located at TRIUMF in Vancouver, Canada. DarkLight was designed to utilize the ARIEL electron beam to search for a new boson, $A^\prime$, which preferentially couples to leptons, with a mass in the range 13-17 MeV/$c^2$. Such a boson could be produced via the $e^-~X\rightarrow e^-~X~A^\prime$ process, and the resulting $A^\prime\rightarrow e^+~e^-$ decay used to reconstruct the invariant mass of the $A^\prime$. The $e^+e^-$ pair is detected using a pair of magnetic spectrometers. Each spectrometer is instrumented with two triple GEM detectors and a scintillating strip hodoscope to trigger the event readout. Electron beam energies between 10 and 30 MeV were used to commission the experiment with a 1$~\mu$m thick carbon target. With both spectrometer polarities set to select electrons, elastic and M{\o}ller scattering were used to examine detector performance and compare with predicted distributions from Monte Carlo simulations. Planned upgrades to the e-linac will allow searches to be made with beam energies up to 50 MeV using a 1$~\mu$m thick tantalum target.

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arXiv2024

The sPHENIX Micromegas Outer Tracker

The sPHENIX Time Projection Chamber Outer Tracker (TPOT) is a Micromegas based detector. It is a part of the sPHENIX experiment that aims to facilitate the calibration of the Time Projection Chamber, in particular the correction of the time-averaged and beam-induced distortions of the electron drift. This paper describes the detector mission, setup, construction, installation, commissioning and performance during the first year of sPHENIX data taking.

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arXiv2023

The Two-Photon Exchange Experiment at DESY

We propose a new measurement of the ratio of positron-proton to electron-proton elastic scattering at DESY. The purpose is to determine the contributions beyond single-photon exchange, which are essential for the Quantum Electrodynamic (QED) description of the most fundamental process in hadronic physics. By utilizing a 20 cm long liquid hydrogen target in conjunction with the extracted beam from the DESY synchrotron, we can achieve an average luminosity of $2.12\times10^{35}$ cm$^{-2}\cdot$s$^{-1}\cdot$sr$^{-1}$ ($\approx200$ times the luminosity achieved by OLYMPUS). The proposed TPEX experiment entails a commissioning run at 2 GeV, followed by measurements at 3 GeV, thereby providing new data up to $Q^2=4.6$ (GeV/$c$)$^2$ (twice the range of current measurements). We present and discuss the proposed experimental setup, run plan, and expectations.

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arXiv2023

Two-Photon EXchange -- TPEX

We propose a new measurement of the ratio of positron-proton to electron-proton, elastic scattering at DESY to determine the contributions beyond single-photon exchange, which are essential to the QED description of the most fundamental process in hadronic physics. A 20~cm long liquid hydrogen target together with the extracted beam from the DESY synchrotron would yield an average luminosity of $2.12\times10^{35}$~cm$^{-2}\cdot$s$^{-1}\cdot$sr$^{-1}$ ($\sim200$ times the luminosity achieved by OLYMPUS). A commissioning run at 2 GeV followed by measurements at 3 GeV would provide new data up to $Q^2=4.6$~(GeV/$c$)$^2$ (twice the range of current measurements). Lead tungstate calorimeters would be used to detect the scattered leptons at polar angles of $30^\circ$, $50^\circ$, $70^\circ$, $90^\circ$, and $110^\circ$. The measurements could be scheduled to not interfere with the operation of PETRA. We present rate estimates and simulations for the planned measurements including background considerations. Initial measurements at the DESY test beam facility using prototype lead tungstate calorimeters in 2019, 2021, and 2022 were made to check the Monte Carlo simulations and the performance of the calorimeters. These tests also investigated different readout schemes (triggered and streaming). Various upgrades are possible to shorten the running time and to make higher beam energies and thus greater $Q^2$ ranges accessible.

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arXiv2022

Low-$Q^2$ elastic electron-proton scattering using a gas jet target

In this paper, we describe an experiment measuring low-$Q^2$ elastic electron-proton scattering using a newly developed cryogenic supersonic gas jet target in the A1 three-spectrometer facility at the Mainz Microtron. We measured the proton electric form factor within the four-momentum transfer range of $0.01\le Q^2 \le 0.045(\text{GeV/c})^2$. The experiment showed consistent results with the existing measurements. The data we collected demonstrated the feasibility of the gas jet target and the potential of future scattering experiments using high-resolution spectrometers with this gas jet target.

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arXiv2022

Searching for New Physics with DarkLight at the ARIEL Electron-Linac

The search for a dark photon holds considerable interest in the physics community. Such a force carrier would begin to illuminate the dark sector. Many experiments have searched for such a particle, but so far it has proven elusive. In recent years the concept of a low mass dark photon has gained popularity in the physics community. Of particular recent interest is the $^8$Be and $^4$He anomaly, which could be explained by a new fifth force carrier with a mass of 17 MeV/$c^2$. The proposed DarkLight experiment would search for this potential low mass force carrier at ARIEL in the 10-20 MeV e$^+$e$^-$ invariant mass range. This proceeding will focus on the experimental design and physics case of the DarkLight experiment.

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arXiv2021

Operation and characterization of a windowless gas jet target in high-intensity electron beams

A cryogenic supersonic gas jet target was developed for the MAGIX experiment at the high-intensity electron accelerator MESA. It will be operated as an internal, windowless target in the energy-recovering recirculation arc of the accelerator with different target gases, e.g., hydrogen, deuterium, helium, oxygen, argon, or xenon. Detailed studies have been carried out at the existing A1 multi-spectrometer facility at the electron accelerator MAMI. This paper focuses on the developed handling procedures and diagnostic tools, and on the performance of the gas jet target under beam conditions. Considering the special features of this type of target, it proves to be well suited for a new generation of high-precision electron scattering experiments at high-intensity electron accelerators.

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arXiv2020

Measurement of the Charge-Averaged Elastic Lepton-Proton Scattering Cross Section by the OLYMPUS Experiment

We report the first measurement of the average of the electron-proton and positron-proton elastic scattering cross sections. This lepton charge-averaged cross section is insensitive to the leading effects of hard two-photon exchange, giving more robust access to the proton's electromagnetic form factors. The cross section was extracted from data taken by the OLYMPUS experiment at DESY, in which alternating stored electron and positron beams were scattered from a windowless gaseous hydrogen target. Elastic scattering events were identified from the coincident detection of the scattered lepton and recoil proton in a large-acceptance toroidal spectrometer. The luminosity was determined from the rates of M{\o}ller, Bhabha and elastic scattering in forward electromagnetic calorimeters. The data provide some selectivity between existing form factor global fits and will provide valuable constraints to future fits.

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arXiv2019

A New Cryogenic Apparatus to Search for the Neutron Electric Dipole Moment

A cryogenic apparatus is described that enables a new experiment, nEDM@SNS, with a major improvement in sensitivity compared to the existing limit in the search for a neutron Electric Dipole Moment (EDM). It uses superfluid $^4$He to produce a high density of Ultra-Cold Neutrons (UCN) which are contained in a suitably coated pair of measurement cells. The experiment, to be operated at the Spallation Neutron Source at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, uses polarized $^3$He from an Atomic Beam Source injected into the superfluid $^4$He and transported to the measurement cells as a co-magnetometer. The superfluid $^4$He is also used as an insulating medium allowing significantly higher electric fields, compared to previous experiments, to be maintained across the measurement cells. These features provide an ultimate statistical uncertainty for the EDM of $2-3\times 10^{-28}$ e-cm, with anticipated systematic uncertainties below this level.

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arXiv2019

Measurement of Moller Scattering at 2.5 MeV

Moller scattering is one of the most fundamental processes in QED. Understanding it to high precision is necessary for a variety of modern nuclear and particle physics experiments. In a recent calculation, existing soft-photon radiative corrections were combined with new hard-photon bremsstrahlung calculations to take into account the effect of photon emission at any photon energy, where the electron mass was included at all steps. To test the calculation, an experiment was carried out using the 3 MV Van de Graaff electrostatic accelerator at the MIT High Voltage Research Laboratory. Momentum spectra at three scattering angles at an incident electron energy of 2.5 MeV are reported here, and compared to the simulated radiative Moller spectra, based on our previous calculation. Good agreement between the measurements and our calculation is observed in the momentum spectrum at the three angles.

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arXiv2019

The neutron electric dipole moment experiment at the Spallation Neutron Source

Novel experimental techniques are required to make the next big leap in neutron electric dipole moment experimental sensitivity, both in terms of statistics and systematic error control. The nEDM experiment at the Spallation Neutron Source (nEDM@SNS) will implement the scheme of Golub & Lamoreaux [Phys. Rep., 237, 1 (1994)]. The unique properties of combining polarized ultracold neutrons, polarized $^3$He, and superfluid $^4$He will be exploited to provide a sensitivity to $\sim 10^{-28}\,e{\rm \,\cdot\, cm}$. Our cryogenic apparatus will deploy two small ($3\,{\rm L}$) measurement cells with a high density of ultracold neutrons produced and spin analyzed in situ. The electric field strength, precession time, magnetic shielding, and detected UCN number will all be enhanced compared to previous room temperature Ramsey measurements. Our $^3$He co-magnetometer offers unique control of systematic effects, in particular the Bloch-Siegert induced false EDM. Furthermore, there will be two distinct measurement modes: free precession and dressed spin. This will provide an important self-check of our results. Following five years of "critical component demonstration," our collaboration transitioned to a "large scale integration" phase in 2018. An overview of our measurement techniques, experimental design, and brief updates are described in these proceedings.

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arXiv2019

Design and Operation of a Windowless Gas Target Internal to a Solenoidal Magnet for Use with a Megawatt Electron Beam

A windowless hydrogen gas target of nominal thickness $10^{19}$ cm$^{-2}$ is an essential component of the DarkLight experiment, which is designed to utilize the megawatt electron beam at an Energy Recovery Linac (ERL). The design of such a target is challenging because the pressure drops by many orders of magnitude between the central, high-density section of the target and the surrounding beamline, resulting in laminar, transitional, and finally molecular flow regimes. The target system was assembled and operated at Jefferson Lab's Low Energy Recirculator Facility (LERF) in 2016, and subsequently underwent several revisions and calibration tests at MIT Bates in 2017. The system at dynamic equilibrium was simulated in COMSOL to provide a better understanding of its optimal operation at other working points. We have determined that a windowless gas target with sufficiently high density for DarkLight's experimental needs is feasible in an ERL environment.

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arXiv2018

Realization of a Large-Acceptance Faraday Cup for 3 MeV Electrons

The design, construction, installation, and testing of a Faraday Cup intended to measure the current of a 3 MeV, 1 microampere electron beam is described. Built as a current monitor for a M{\o}ller scattering measurement at the MIT High Voltage Research Laboratory, the device combines a large angular acceptance with the capability to measure a continuous, low energy beam. Bench studies of its performance demonstrate current measurements accurate to the percent level at 1 microampere. The Faraday Cup was designed and constructed at MIT and has been in use at the HVRL since 2017, providing a significantly more detailed measurement of beam current than was previously available.

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arXiv2016

Hard Two-Photon Contribution to Elastic Lepton-Proton Scattering: Determined by the OLYMPUS Experiment

The OLYMPUS collaboration reports on a precision measurement of the positron-proton to electron-proton elastic cross section ratio, $R_{2\gamma}$, a direct measure of the contribution of hard two-photon exchange to the elastic cross section. In the OLYMPUS measurement, 2.01~GeV electron and positron beams were directed through a hydrogen gas target internal to the DORIS storage ring at DESY. A toroidal magnetic spectrometer instrumented with drift chambers and time-of-flight scintillators detected elastically scattered leptons in coincidence with recoiling protons over a scattering angle range of $\approx 20\degree$ to $80\degree$. The relative luminosity between the two beam species was monitored using tracking telescopes of interleaved GEM and MWPC detectors at $12\degree$, as well as symmetric M{\o}ller/Bhabha calorimeters at $1.29\degree$. A total integrated luminosity of 4.5~fb$^{-1}$ was collected. In the extraction of $R_{2\gamma}$, radiative effects were taken into account using a Monte Carlo generator to simulate the convolutions of internal bremsstrahlung with experiment-specific conditions such as detector acceptance and reconstruction efficiency. The resulting values of $R_{2\gamma}$, presented here for a wide range of virtual photon polarization $0.456<\epsilon<0.978$, are smaller than some hadronic two-photon exchange calculations predict, but are in reasonable agreement with a subtracted dispersion model and a phenomenological fit to the form factor data.

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arXiv2016

A novel comparison of M{\o}ller and Compton electron-beam polarimeters

We have performed a novel comparison between electron-beam polarimeters based on M{\o}ller and Compton scattering. A sequence of electron-beam polarization measurements were performed at low beam currents ($<$ 5 $\mu$A) during the $Q_{\rm weak}$ experiment in Hall C at Jefferson Lab. These low current measurements were bracketed by the regular high current (180 $\mu$A) operation of the Compton polarimeter. All measurements were found to be consistent within experimental uncertainties of 1% or less, demonstrating that electron polarization does not depend significantly on the beam current. This result lends confidence to the common practice of applying M{\o}ller measurements made at low beam currents to physics experiments performed at higher beam currents. The agreement between two polarimetry techniques based on independent physical processes sets an important benchmark for future precision asymmetry measurements that require sub-1% precision in polarimetry.

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arXiv2015

Precision Electron-Beam Polarimetry using Compton Scattering at 1 GeV

We report on the highest precision yet achieved in the measurement of the polarization of a low energy, $\mathcal{O}$(1 GeV), electron beam, accomplished using a new polarimeter based on electron-photon scattering, in Hall~C at Jefferson Lab. A number of technical innovations were necessary, including a novel method for precise control of the laser polarization in a cavity and a novel diamond micro-strip detector which was able to capture most of the spectrum of scattered electrons. The data analysis technique exploited track finding, the high granularity of the detector and its large acceptance. The polarization of the $180~\mu$A, $1.16$~GeV electron beam was measured with a statistical precision of $<$~1\% per hour and a systematic uncertainty of 0.59\%. This exceeds the level of precision required by the \qweak experiment, a measurement of the vector weak charge of the proton. Proposed future low-energy experiments require polarization uncertainty $<$~0.4\%, and this result represents an important demonstration of that possibility. This measurement is also the first use of diamond detectors for particle tracking in an experiment.

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arXiv2014

The DarkLight Experiment: A Precision Search for New Physics at Low Energies

We describe the current status of the DarkLight experiment at Jefferson Laboratory. DarkLight is motivated by the possibility that a dark photon in the mass range 10 to 100 MeV/c$^2$ could couple the dark sector to the Standard Model. DarkLight will precisely measure electron proton scattering using the 100 MeV electron beam of intensity 5 mA at the Jefferson Laboratory energy recovering linac incident on a windowless gas target of molecular hydrogen. The complete final state including scattered electron, recoil proton, and e+e- pair will be detected. A phase-I experiment has been funded and is expected to take data in the next eighteen months. The complete phase-II experiment is under final design and could run within two years after phase-I is completed. The DarkLight experiment drives development of new technology for beam, target, and detector and provides a new means to carry out electron scattering experiments at low momentum transfers.

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arXiv2013

The OLYMPUS Experiment

The OLYMPUS experiment was designed to measure the ratio between the positron-proton and electron-proton elastic scattering cross sections, with the goal of determining the contribution of two-photon exchange to the elastic cross section. Two-photon exchange might resolve the discrepancy between measurements of the proton form factor ratio, $μ_p G^p_E/G^p_M$, made using polarization techniques and those made in unpolarized experiments. OLYMPUS operated on the DORIS storage ring at DESY, alternating between 2.01~GeV electron and positron beams incident on an internal hydrogen gas target. The experiment used a toroidal magnetic spectrometer instrumented with drift chambers and time-of-flight detectors to measure rates for elastic scattering over the polar angular range of approximately $25^\circ$--$75^\circ$. Symmetric Møller/Bhabha calorimeters at $1.29^\circ$ and telescopes of GEM and MWPC detectors at $12^\circ$ served as luminosity monitors. A total luminosity of approximately 4.5~fb$^{-1}$ was collected over two running periods in 2012. This paper provides details on the accelerator, target, detectors, and operation of the experiment.

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