Structure of the Nucleon and Few-Body Nuclear Systems with Electron Scattering

该奖项为研究质子和中子以及自然界中最轻的原子核：氢和氦的内部结构和动力学提供了支持。这项研究将基于高能电子从氢、氢、氚和氦原子核上散射的实验研究。拟议的研究将使用托马斯·杰斐逊国家加速器设施的高强度、高能电子束在低温目标环境中轰击原子核，并利用使用超导磁体和亚原子粒子探测器的粒子探测设备研究核反应产物。这些结果有望为质子和中子内部的三个夸克的分布、氢和氦的量子力学波函数以及这两个轻核的质子和中子组分的相互作用机制提供基本的信息。来自拟议调查的预期实验数据将为我们理解质子和中子的三个夸克成分的结构以及建立描述最简单核系统的一致的现代理论提供宝贵的信息。

This award provides support to investigate the internal structure anddynamics of the proton and neutron, and of the lightest nuclei innature: deuterium and helium. The investigation will be based onexperimental studies of high-energy electrons scattering off hydrogen,deuterium, tritium and helium nuclei. The proposed research will usethe high-intensity, high-energy electron beam of the Thomas JeffersonNational Accelerator Facility to bombard nuclei in cryogenic targetenvironments and to study the nuclear reaction products with particledetection devices using superconducting magnets and subatomic particledetectors. The results are expected to provide fundamental informationon the distributions of the three quarks inside the proton and neutron,on the quantum mechanical wave functions of deuterium and helium, and onthe mechanism of the interaction of the proton and neutron constituentsof these two light nuclei. The expected experimental data from theproposed investigation will offer valuable input to our understanding ofthe structure of the proton and neutron in terms of their three quarkconstituents and to the establishment of a consistent modern theorydescribing the simplest nuclear systems.