arXiv subjects

W. D. Ramsay

Publications and source records attributed to W. D. Ramsay.

30 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2012

The Qweak Experiment: A Search for New Physics at the TeV Scale via a Measurement of the Proton's Weak Charge

We propose a new precision measurement of parity-violating electron scattering on the proton at very low Q^2 and forward angles to challenge predictions of the Standard Model and search for new physics. A unique opportunity exists to carry out the first precision measurement of the proton's weak charge, $Q_W =1 - 4\sin^2θ_W$. A 2200 hour measurement of the parity violating asymmetry in elastic ep scattering at Q^2=0.03 (GeV/c)^2 employing 180 $μ$A of 85% polarized beam on a 35 cm liquid Hydrogen target will determine the proton's weak charge with approximately 4% combined statistical and systematic errors. The Standard Model makes a firm prediction of $Q_W$, based on the running of the weak mixing angle from the Z0 pole down to low energies, corresponding to a 10 sigma effect in this experiment.

physics.ins-det↗

arXiv2012

Measurement of the parity-violating asymmetry in inclusive electroproduction of $π^-$ near the $Δ^0$ resonance

The parity-violating (PV) asymmetry of inclusive $π^-$ production in electron scattering from a liquid deuterium target was measured at backward angles. The measurement was conducted as a part of the G0 experiment, at a beam energy of 360 MeV. The physics process dominating pion production for these kinematics is quasi-free photoproduction off the neutron via the $Δ^0$ resonance. In the context of heavy-baryon chiral perturbation theory (HB$χ$PT), this asymmetry is related to a low energy constant $d_Δ^-$ that characterizes the parity-violating $γ$N$Δ$ coupling. Zhu et al. calculated $d_Δ^-$ in a model benchmarked by the large asymmetries seen in hyperon weak radiative decays, and predicted potentially large asymmetries for this process, ranging from $A_γ^-=-5.2$ to $+5.2$ ppm. The measurement performed in this work leads to $A_γ^-=-0.36\pm 1.06\pm 0.37\pm 0.03$ ppm (where sources of statistical, systematic and theoretical uncertainties are included), which would disfavor enchancements considered by Zhu et al. proportional to $V_{ud}/V_{us}$. The measurement is part of a program of inelastic scattering measurements that were conducted by the G0 experiment, seeking to determine the $N-Δ$ axial transition form-factors using PV electron scattering.

nucl-ex↗

arXiv2011

Transverse Beam Spin Asymmetries at Backward Angles in Elastic Electron-Proton and Quasi-elastic Electron-Deuteron Scattering

We have measured the beam-normal single-spin asymmetries in elastic scattering of transversely polarized electrons from the proton, and performed the first measurement in quasi-elastic scattering on the deuteron, at backward angles (lab scattering angle of 108 degrees) for Q2 = 0.22 GeV^2/c^2 and 0.63 GeV^2/c^2 at beam energies of 362 MeV and 687 MeV, respectively. The asymmetry arises due to the imaginary part of the interference of the two-photon exchange amplitude with that of single photon exchange. Results for the proton are consistent with a model calculation which includes inelastic intermediate hadronic (piN) states. An estimate of the beam-normal single-spin asymmetry for the scattering from the neutron is made using a quasi-static deuterium approximation, and is also in agreement with theory.

nucl-ex↗

arXiv2007

High-Efficiency Resonant RF Spin Rotator with Broad Phase Space Acceptance for Pulsed Polarized Cold Neutron Beams

We have developed a radio-frequency resonant spin rotator to reverse the neutron polarization in a 9.5 cm x 9.5 cm pulsed cold neutron beam with high efficiency over a broad cold neutron energy range. The effect of the spin reversal by the rotator on the neutron beam phase space is compared qualitatively to RF neutron spin flippers based on adiabatic fast passage. The spin rotator does not change the kinetic energy of the neutrons and leaves the neutron beam phase space unchanged to high precision. We discuss the design of the spin rotator and describe two types of transmission-based neutron spin-flip efficiency measurements where the neutron beam was both polarized and analyzed by optically-polarized 3He neutron spin filters. The efficiency of the spin rotator was measured to be 98.0+/-0.8% on resonance for neutron energies from 3.3 to 18.4 meV over the full phase space of the beam. As an example of the application of this device to an experiment we describe the integration of the RF spin rotator into an apparatus to search for the small parity-violating asymmetry A_gamma in polarized cold neutron capture on para-hydrogen by the NPDGamma collaboration at LANSCE.

nucl-ex↗

arXiv2007

The Qweak Experiment -- A search for new physics at the TeV Scale by measurement of the proton's weak charge

From a distance, the proton's weak charge is seen through the distorting effects of clouds of virtual particles. The effective weak charge can be calculated by starting with the measured weak coupling at the Z-pole and "running" the coupling to lower energy or, equivalently, longer distances. Because the "electroweak radiative corrections" or "loop diagrams" which give rise to the running depend not only on known particles, but on particles which have not yet been discovered, a difference between the calculated and measured weak charges may signal new physics. A measurement of Qweak to 4% will be sensitive to new physics at the few TeV scale. The Qweak experiment is based on the fact that the parity-violating longitudinal analyzing power, Az, in electron-proton scattering at low momentum transfer and small scattering angle, is proportional to the proton's weak charge. The experiment plans to measure the predicted Az of -0.3 ppm with a combined statistical and systematic uncertainty of 2.2%, corresponding to a total uncertainty of 4% of Qweak. This requires a statistical precision of 5 x 10^-9, which can be achieved in 2200 hours with an 85% polarized, 180 microamp electron beam incident on a 0.35 m liquid hydrogen target. A synchronous data acquisition system will integrate the detector current signals over each spin state and extract the helicity correlated, parity violating component.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2006

Upper Bounds on Parity Violating Gamma-Ray Asymmetries in Compound Nuclei from Polarized Cold Neutron Capture

Parity-odd asymmetries in the electromagnetic decays of compound nuclei can sometimes be amplified above values expected from simple dimensional estimates by the complexity of compound nuclear states. In this work we use a statistical approach to estimate the root mean square (RMS) of the distribution of expected parity-odd correlations $\vec{s_{n}} \cdot \vec{k_γ}$, where $\vec {s_{n}}$ is the neutron spin and $\vec{k_γ}$ is the momentum of the gamma, in the integrated gamma spectrum from the capture of cold polarized neutrons on Al, Cu, and In and we present measurements of the asymmetries in these and other nuclei. Based on our calculations, large enhancements of asymmetries were not predicted for the studied nuclei and the statistical estimates are consistent with our measured upper bounds on the asymmetries.

nucl-ex↗

arXiv2004

A Current Mode Detector Array for Gamma-Ray Asymmetry Measurements

We have built a CsI(Tl) gamma-ray detector array for the NPDGamma experiment to search for a small parity-violating directional asymmetry in the angular distribution of 2.2 MeV gamma-rays from the capture of polarized cold neutrons by protons with a sensitivity of several ppb. The weak pion-nucleon coupling constant can be determined from this asymmetry. The small size of the asymmetry requires a high cold neutron flux, control of systematic errors at the ppb level, and the use of current mode gamma-ray detection with vacuum photo diodes and low-noise solid-state preamplifiers. The average detector photoelectron yield was determined to be 1300 photoelectrons per MeV. The RMS width seen in the measurement is therefore dominated by the fluctuations in the number of gamma rays absorbed in the detector (counting statistics) rather than the intrinsic detector noise. The detectors were tested for noise performance, sensitivity to magnetic fields, pedestal stability and cosmic background. False asymmetries due to gain changes and electronic pickup in the detector system were measured to be consistent with zero to an accuracy of $10^{-9}$ in a few hours. We report on the design, operating criteria, and the results of measurements performed to test the detector array.

nucl-ex↗

arXiv2004

Selected Parity Violation Experiments

I start by reviewing existing $\vec{p}p$ measurements with particular emphasis on the recent 221 MeV $\vec{p}p$ measurement at TRIUMF which permitted the weak meson-nucleon coupling constants $h^{pp}_ρ$ and $h^{pp}_ω$ to be determined separately for the first time. I then review $\vec{n}p$ experiments, with specific details of the $\vec{n}p \to dγ$ experiment now under preparation at Los Alamos National Laboratory. This experiment will provide a clean measurement of the weak pion nucleon coupling, $f_π$. Finally, I discuss $\vec{e}p$ parity violation experiments, particularly the Gzero experiment under way at Jefferson Lab in Virginia. This experiment will measure the weak form factors $G_E^z$ and $G_M^z$, allowing the distribution of strange quarks in the quark sea to be determined.

nucl-ex↗

arXiv2002

Parity Violation in pp and np Experiments

Parity violation experiments involving only two nucleons provide a way to study the non-leptonic, strangeness conserving part of the weak interaction in a clean measurement free of nuclear structure uncertainties. Although simple in principle, the experiments are technically very demanding and great pains must be taken both in the preparation of the incident polarized beams and the measurement of the resultant parity violating asymmetries, which may be masked by a multitude of systematic effects. At low and intermediate energies, pp experiments are sensitive to the medium range part of the parity violating nucleon-nucleon force, usually parameterized in terms of rho and omega meson exchange. I review existing pp measurements with particular emphasis on the recent 221 MeV pp measurement at TRIUMF which permitted the weak meson-nucleon coupling constants h^{pp}_rho and h^{pp}_omega to be determined separately for the first time. The np experiments, on the other hand, are used to extract the weak pion nucleon coupling, f_pi, describing the longest range part of the parity violating nucleon-nucleon force. The np system is the only two nucleon system that is sensitive to f_pi. I also review these experiments, with specific details of the np -> d gamma experiment now under preparation at Los Alamos National Laboratory.

nucl-ex↗

arXiv1999

Evidence of Xi hypernuclear production in the ^{12}C(K^-,K^+)^{12}_{Xi}Be reaction

The E885 collaboration utilized the 1.8 GeV/c K^- beam line at the AGS to accumulate 3 x 10^5 (K^-,K^+) events. Xi hypernuclear states are expected to be produced through the reaction K^- + ^{12}C -> K^+ + ^{12}_{Xi}Be. The measured missing-mass spectrum indicates the existence of a signal below the threshold for free Xi production. Although the resolution was not sufficient to resolve discrete hypernuclear states, the excess of events in the region of missing mass, kinematically inaccessible in free Xi production, is compared to theoretical prediction for ^{12}_{Xi}Be production.

nucl-ex↗

arXiv1999

Physics in a Mirror: The TRIUMF 221 MeV pp Parity Violation Experiment

We measure the difference in the scattering probability when an experiment scattering longitudinally polarized 221 MeV protons from liquid hydrogen is replaced by its mirror image. The result depends on the interplay between the weak and strong interactions in the interesting region near the surface of the proton. The experiment is technically very challenging and requires elaborate precautions to measure and correct for various sources of systematic error.

physics.pop-ph↗

arXiv1997

The TRIUMF Parity Violation Experiment

An experiment (E497) is underway at TRIUMF to measure the angle-integrated, parity violating longitudinal analyzing power, Az, in proton-proton elastic scattering, to a precision of +/- 0.2 x 10^-7. The experiment uses a 221 MeV longitudinally polarized proton beam incident on a 40 cm liquid hydrogen target. The beam energy is carefully chosen so that the contribution to Az from the J=0 parity mixed partial wave (1S0-3P0) integrates to zero over the acceptance of the apparatus, leaving the experiment sensitive mainly (>95%) to Az arising from the 3P2-1D2, J=2 wave. To minimize sources of systematic error, the TRIUMF ion source and cyclotron parameters have been refined to the extent that helicity correlated beam changes are at an extremely low level, and specialized instrumentation on the E497 beamline is able to measure residual helicity correlated modulations to a precision consistent with the goals of the experiment. A data taking run in February-March, 1997 logged approximately 12% of the desired data and produced a preliminary result, Az = (1.1 +/- 0.4 +/- 0.4) x 10^-7, where the error is statistical only.

nucl-ex↗