Calibration and Tracking Subsystem for the QWEAK Experiment

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The research proposed here seeks the answer to one of the fundamentalquestions about our understanding of matter; i.e. is there any new physicsbeyond the Standard Model of electroweak physics. The QWEAK experiment atThomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility addresses this question bymeasuring the proton's weak charge via parity-violating electron scatteringat very low momentum transfer. The proton's weak charge, which is itscoupling to the neutral Z boson, has a well-defined prediction in theStandard Model; and a precise measurement of this charge is sensitiveto many popular scenarios for extending the Standard Model. The Virginia Tech group is responsible for an essential component of theparticle tracking system, two sets of drift chambers. This system isrequired in order to precisely measure the kinematics of elasticallyelectrons, as well as for critical studies of experimental backgrounds.Participation by one graduate student and two undergraduate studentsunder the supervision of a faculty participant and funded by this grantwill provide essential resources for timely completion of this project,and will substantially enhance their educational experience and training.