arXiv subjects

John Arrington

Publications and source records attributed to John Arrington.

35 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2017

Spectator-Tagged Deeply Virtual Compton Scattering on Light Nuclei

The three-dimensional picture of quarks and gluons in the proton is set to be revealed through Deeply virtual Compton scattering while a critically important puzzle in the one-dimensional picture remains, namely, the origins of the EMC effect. Incoherent nuclear DVCS, i.e. DVCS on a nucleon inside a nucleus, can reveal the 3D partonic structure of the bound nucleon and shed a new light on the EMC effect. However, the Fermi motion of the struck nucleon, off-shell effects and final-state interactions (FSIs) complicate this parton level interpretation. We propose here a measurement of incoherent DVCS with a tagging of the recoiling spectator system (nucleus A-1) to systematically control nuclear effects. Through spectator-tagged DVCS, a fully detected final state presents a unique opportunity to systematically study these nuclear effects and cleanly observe possible modification of the nucleon's quark distributions. We propose to measure the DVCS beam-spin asymmetries (BSAs) on $^4$He and deuterium targets. The reaction $^4$He$(e,e^{\prime}γ\,p\,^3$H$)$ with a fully detected final state has the rare ability to simultaneously quantify FSIs, measure initial nucleon momentum, and provide a sensitive probe to other nuclear effects at the parton level. The DVCS BSA on a (quasi-free) neutron will be measured by tagging a spectator proton with a deuteron target. Similarly, a bound neutron measurement detects a spectator $^3$He off a $^4$He target. These two observables will allow for a self-contained measurement of the neutron off-forward EMC Effect.

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arXiv2017

Tagged EMC Measurements on Light Nuclei

We propose to measure tagged deep inelastic scattering from light nuclei (deuterium and $^4$He) by detecting the low energy nuclear spectator recoil (p, $^3$H and $^3$He) in addition to the scattered electron. The proposed experiment will provide stringent tests leading to clear differentiation between the many models describing the EMC effect, by accessing the bound nucleon virtuality through its initial momentum at the point of interaction. Indeed, conventional nuclear physics explanations of the EMC effect mainly based on Fermi motion and binding effects yield very different predictions than more exotic scenarios, where bound nucleons basically loose their identity when embedded in the nuclear medium. By distinguishing events where the interacting nucleon was slow, as described by a mean field scenario, or fast, very likely belonging to a correlated pair, will clearly indicate which phenomenon is relevant to explain the EMC effect. An important challenge for such measurements using nuclear spectators is the control of the theoretical framework and, in particular, final state interactions. This experiment will directly provide the necessary data needed to test our understanding of spectator tagging and final state interactions in $^2$H and $^4$He and their impact on the semi-inclusive measurements of the EMC effect described above.

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arXiv2015

Short-range correlations and their implications for isospin-dependent modification of nuclear quark distributions

The past decade has provided a much clearer picture of the structure of high-momentum components in nucleons, associated with hard, short-distance interactions between pairs of nucleons. Recent Jefferson Lab data on light nuclei suggest a connection between these so-called 'short-range correlations' and the modification of the quark structure of nucleons in the nuclear environment. In light of this discovery that the detailed nuclear structure is important in describing the nuclear quark distributions, we examine the potential impact of the isospin-dependent structure of nuclei to see at what level this might yield flavor-dependent effects in nuclear quark distributions.

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arXiv2015

An examination of proton charge radius extractions from e-p scattering data

A detailed examination of issues associated with proton radius extractions from elastic electron-proton scattering experiments is presented. Sources of systematic uncertainty and model dependence in the extractions are discussed, with an emphasis on how these may impact the proton charge and magnetic radii. A comparison of recent Mainz data to previous world data is presented, highlighting the difference in treatment of systematic uncertainties as well as tension between different data sets. We find several issues that suggest that larger uncertainties than previously quoted may be appropriate, but do not find any corrections which would resolve the proton radius puzzle.

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arXiv2015

Evaluation of the proton charge radius from e-p scattering

In light of the proton radius puzzle, the discrepancy between measurements of the proton charge radius from muonic hydrogen and those from electronic hydrogen and electron-proton scattering measurements, we reexamine the charge radius extractions from electron scattering measurements. We provide a recommended value for the proton RMS charge radius, $r_E = 0.879 \pm 0.011$ fm, based on a global examination of elastic e-p scattering data. The uncertainties include contributions to account for tension between different data sets and inconsistencies between radii using different extraction procedures.

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arXiv2013

Coulomb corrections in the extraction of the proton radius

Multi-photon exchange contributions are important in extracting the proton charge radius from elastic electron--proton scattering. So far, only diagrams associated with the exchange of a second photon have been evaluated. At the very low $Q^2$ values relevant to the radius extraction, higher order contributions may become important. We evaluate these corrections in the Effective Momentum Approximation, which includes the Coulomb interaction to all orders, and find small corrections with a strong $Q^2$ dependence at low $Q^2$ and large scattering angles. This suggests that the higher order terms may be important in the evaluation of the proton magnetic radius.

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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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arXiv2011

Nucleon Form Factors - A Jefferson Lab Perspective

The charge and magnetization distributions of the proton and neutron are encoded in their elastic electromagnetic form factors, which can be measured in elastic electron--nucleon scattering. By measuring the form factors, we probe the spatial distribution of the proton charge and magnetization, providing the most direct connection to the spatial distribution of quarks inside the proton. For decades, the form factors were probed through measurements of unpolarized elastic electron scattering, but by the 1980s, progress slowed dramatically due to the intrinsic limitations of the unpolarized measurements. Early measurements at several laboratories demonstrated the feasibility and power of measurements using polarization degrees of freedom to probe the spatial structure of the nucleon. A program of polarization measurements at Jefferson Lab led to a renaissance in the field of study, and significant new insight into the structure of matter.

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arXiv2010

Realistic Transverse Images of the Proton Charge and Magnetic Densities

We develop a technique, denoted as the finite radius approximation (FRA), that uses a two-dimensional version of the Shannon-Nyquist sampling theorem to determine transverse densities and their uncertainties from experimental quantities. Uncertainties arising from experimental uncertainties on the form factors and lack of measured data at high $Q^2$ are treated. A key feature of the FRA is that a form factor measured at a given value of $Q^2$ is related to a definite region in coordinate space. An exact relation between the FRA and the use of a Bessel series is derived. The proton Dirac form factor is well enough known such that the transverse charge density is very accurately known except for transverse separations $b$ less than about 0.1 fm. The Pauli form factor is well known to $Q^2$ of about 10 GeV$^2$, and this allows a reasonable, but improvable, determination of the anomalous magnetic moment density.

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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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arXiv2009

Two-photon exchange measurements with positrons and electrons

Two-photon exchange contributions have potentially broad ranging impact on several charged lepton scattering measurements. Previously believed to be extremely small, based in part on comparisons of positron scattering and electron scattering in the 1950s and 1960s, recent data suggest that the corrections may be larger than expected, in particular in kinematic regions that were inaccessible in these early positron scattering measurements. Additional measurements using positron beams at Jefferson Lab would allow for a detailed investigation of these contributions in a range of reactions and observables.

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arXiv2009

The Inclusive-Exclusive Connection and the Neutron Negative Central Charge Density

We find an interpretation of the recent finding that the central charge density of the neutron is negative by using models of generalized parton distributions at zero skewness to relate the behavior of deep inelastic scattering quark distributions, evaluated at large values of Bjorken x, to the transverse charge density evaluated at small distances. The key physical input of these models is the Drell-Yan-West relation We find that the d quarks dominate the neutron structure function for large values of Bjorken x, where the large longitudinal momentum of the struck quark has a significant impact on determining the center-of-momentum of the system, and thus the "center" of the nucleon in the transverse position plane.

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arXiv2009

Unpolarized nucleon structure studies utilizing polarized electromagnetic probes

By the mid-1980s, measurements of the nucleon form factors had reached a stage where only slow, incremental progress was possible using unpolarized electron scattering. The development of high quality polarized beams, polarized targets, and recoil polarimeters led to a renaissance in the experimental program. I provide an overview of the changes in the field in the last ten years, which were driven by the dramatically improved data made possible by a new family of tools to measure polarization observables.

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arXiv2008

The neutron negative central charge density: an inclusive-exclusive connection

Models of generalized parton distributions at zero skewness are used to relate the behavior of deep inelastic scattering quark distributions, evaluated at high x, to the transverse charge density evaluated at small distances. We obtain an interpretation of the recently obtained negative central charge density of the neutron. The d quarks dominate the neutron structure function for large values of Bjorken x, where the large momentum of the struck quark has a significant impact on determining the center of momentum, and thus the ``center'' of the nucleon in the transverse position plane.

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arXiv2006

Precise determination of low-Q nucleon electromagnetic form factors and their impact on parity-violating e-p elastic scattering

The extraction of the strangeness form factors from parity violating elastic electron-proton scattering is sensitive to the electromagnetic form factors at low Q^2. We provide parameterizations for the form factors and uncertainties, including the effects of two-photon exchange corrections to the extracted EM form factors. We study effect of the correlations between different form factors, in particular as they impact the parity violating asymmetry and the extraction of the strangeness form factors. We provide a prescription to extract the strangeness form factors from the asymmetry that provides an excellent approximation of the full two-photon correction. The corrected form factors are also appropriate as input for other low-Q analyses, although the effects of correlations and two-photon exchange corrections may be different.

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arXiv2006

Hadrons in the Nuclear Medium -- Quarks, Nucleons, or a Bit of Both?

Quantum Chromodynamics (QCD) is the theory governing the strong interaction of particles. It describes the interactions that bind quarks and gluons into protons and neutrons, and binds these into nuclei. We believe QCD to be as fundamental and complete as QED, the theory of electromagnetic interactions, whose predictions have been tested to more than ten decimal places. If it were possible to make calculations in QCD the same way we can in QED, we would have removed one of the biggest obstacles in the way of understanding matter in the universe. Unfortunately, the properties of QCD make such calculations impossible at present. Historically, there have been two approaches to this problem. First, we work to improve our ability to solve QCD, with the most visible effort being the field of Lattice QCD. Second, we make models of QCD that attempt to incorporate what we believe to be the most important symmetries, dynamics, or degrees of freedom, and then test these models against experimental measurements sensitive to these assumptions. Even the earliest quark models of hadrons structure and the simplest bag models have had great success, far beyond any reasonable expectation, indicating that these models have isolated some of the key features of QCD. More detailed models and ever more sophisticated experimental tests are significantly improving such details, and helping to better identify the most relevant features of QCD, one of the key missing pieces in our understanding of the nature of matter.

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arXiv2004

Coulomb distortion in high-Q^2 elastic e-p scattering

Recently, there has been a significant amount of activity to try and understand the discrepancy between Rosenbluth and polarization transfer measurements of the proton form factors. It has been suggested that the standard use of plane-wave Born approximation in extracting the form factors is insufficient, and that higher-order terms must also be included. Of the corrections missing in standard prescriptions, Coulomb distortion is the most well understood. In this paper, we examine the effect of Coulomb distortion on the extraction of the proton form factors.

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