arXiv subjects

Dave Gaskell

Publications and source records attributed to Dave Gaskell.

6 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Long Range Outlook for Short-Range Correlations

Short range correlated (SRC) N N pairs are pairs of nucleons with high relative momentum (prel > kF where kF ~ 250 MeV/c is the Fermi momentum in medium to heavy nuclei) and lower center of mass momentum. The motivation for studying SRC pairs ranges from a desire to achieve a more comprehensive understanding of the many-body nuclear wave-function at high-resolution to searching for explicit QCD-dynamics effects within the nuclear medium, not to mention connections to many other open problems in nuclear physics. Exploring short-range correlations was one of the physics motivations for building CEBAF (now Jefferson Lab). Scientists used the high luminosity and high energy of this cutting-edge machine to find kinematics that cleanly showed the signals of short-range correlations. This paved the way in the last two decades for tremendous progress understanding these correlations. This paper reviews recent progress and highlights outstanding questions and areas that need further study.

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arXiv2025

Realizing the Scientific Program with Polarized Ion Beams at EIC

Polarized ion beams at the Electron Ion Collider are essential to address some of the most important open questions at the twenty-first century frontiers of understanding of the fundamental structure of matter. Here, we summarize the science case and identify polarized $^2$H, $^3$He, $^6$Li and $^7$Li ion beams as critical technology that will enable experiments which address the most important science. Further, we discuss the required ion polarimetry and spin manipulation in EIC. The current EIC accelerator design is presented. We identify a significant R\&D effort involving both national laboratories and universities that is required over about a decade to realize the polarized ion beams and estimate (based on previous experience) that it will require about 20 FTE over 10 years (or a total of about 200 FTE-years) of personnel, including graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, technicians and engineers. Attracting, educating and training a new generation of physicists in experimental spin techniques will be essential for successful realization. AI/ML is seen as having significant potential for both acceleration of R\&D and amplification of discovery in optimal realization of this unique quantum technology on a cutting-edge collider. The R\&D effort is synergistic with research in atomic physics and fusion energy science.

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arXiv2024

Nuclear Dependence of Beam Normal Single Spin Asymmetry in Elastic Scattering from Nuclei

We propose to measure the beam normal single spin asymmetry in elastic scattering of transversely polarized electron from target nuclei with 12 $\leq Z \leq$ 90 at Q$^2$ = 0.0092 GeV$^2$ to study its nuclear dependence. While the theoretical calculations based on two-photon exchange suggest no nuclear dependence at this kinematics, the results of 208Pb from Jefferson Lab show a striking disagreement from both theoretical predictions and light nuclei measurements. The proposed measurements will provide new data for intermediate to heavy nuclei where no data exists for $Z \geq$ 20 in the kinematics of previous high-energy experiments. It will allow one to investigate the missing contributions that are not accounted in the current theoretical models.

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arXiv2022

SIDIS Measurement with A=3 Nuclei

We introduce a new experimental effort at Jefferson Lab (JLab) to precisely measure the ratios of charged pion electroproduction in Semi-Inclusive Deep Inelastic Scattering (SIDIS) from $^2$D, $^3$He, and $^3$H targets \cite{c12-21-004}. This conditionally approved experiment (C12-21-004) aims to run in Hall-B using the standard CLAS12 configuration and a new target system developed for the approved quasi-elastic experiment (E12-20-005). In this data-driven study, we will measure the cross-sections as a function of ($x$, $Q^2$, $z$, $P_T$) to allow the extraction of the unpolarized parton distribution functions (PDFs), transverse momentum distributions (TMDs) and fragmentation functions (FFs) in A = 3 nuclei. By using super-ratios of pion yields of SIDIS off light nuclei over a wide $x_B$ range, we search for evidence of a flavor dependence in the EMC effect, giving us new insights into the effect of the nuclear environment on valance quarks. Double-ratios between A = 3 mirror nuclei can provide a direct measurement of the d/u ratios at large x due to their similar and well-understood nuclear corrections. With the utilization of mirror nuclei and the large kinematic range, and high precision of CLAS12, we will be able to maintain the sensitivity to the underlying physics but dramatically decrease the nuclear uncertainties due to attenuation and hadronization in heavy nuclei targets.

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arXiv2012

A detailed study of the nuclear dependence of the EMC effect and short-range correlations

Background: The density of the nucleus has been important in explaining the nuclear dependence of the quark distributions, also known as the EMC effect, as well as the presence of highmomentum nucleons arising from short-range correlations (SRCs). Recent measurements of both of these effects on light nuclei have shown a clear deviation from simple density-dependent models. Purpose: A better understanding of the nuclear quark distributions and short-range correlations requires a careful examination of the experimental data on these effects to constrain models that attempt to describe these phenomena. Methods: We present a detailed analysis of the nuclear dependence of the EMC effect and the contribution of SRCs in nuclei, comparing to predictions and simple scaling models based on different pictures of the underlying physics. We also make a direct, quantitative comparison of the two effects to further examine the connection between these two observables related to nuclear structure. Results: We find that, with the inclusion of the new data on light nuclei, neither of these observables can be well explained by common assumptions for the nuclear dependence. The anomalous behavior of both effects in light nuclei is consistent with the idea the the EMC effect is driven by either the presence of high-density configurations in nuclei or the large virtuality of the highmomentum nucleons associated with these configurations. Conclusions: The unexpected nuclear dependence in the measurements of the EMC effect and SRC contributions appear to suggest that the local environment of the struck nucleon is the most relevant quantity for explaining these results. The common behavior suggests a connection between the two seemingly disparate phenomena, but the data do not yet allow for a clear preference between models which aim to explain this connection.

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arXiv2009

Coulomb Distortion in the Inelastic Regime

The Coulomb distortion effects have been for a long time neglected in deep inelastic scattering for the good reason that the incident energies were very high. But for energies in the range of earlier data from SLAC or at JLab, the Coulomb distortion could have the potential consequence of affecting the A-dependence of the EMC effect and of the longitudinal to transverse virtual photon absorption cross section ratio $R(x,Q^2)$.

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