Precision Electroweak Measurements at Jefferson Lab

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This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5).The Louisiana Tech Particle Physics Group (PPG) has a two part experimental nuclear physics research program utilizing the facilities at the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility (TJNAF) located in Virginia and a companion educational Outreach Program designed to involve undergraduate students, science teachers, and high school students in forefront physics research projects. The group's efforts at present are centered on a parity violating electron asymmetry program at TJNAF, the Qweak (E05-008) experiment which represent parity violation measurements at very low momentum transfers. The group had its own approved experiment (E04-101) which utilized the G0 apparatus in the backward angle mode to measure the parity violating asymmetry in the channel where data analysis is still being done. These programs will investigate ground state nucleon structure properties, investigate the dynamics of QCD symmetry breaking, and provide a precision test of the Standard Model. For the Qweak experiment the Louisiana Tech group is responsible for the Region 1 GEM based tracking system for Qweak critical system for the experiment. Louisiana Tech is a rural university with not much opportunity for exposure to fundamental state-of-the-art basic research. The funding thus far received from the NSF has allowed the group to develop a vigorous research program and exceptionally equipped laboratories. With these facilities the group has been able to develop an education outreach program with a two part thrust. The first part involves the undergraduate and the high school students in our labs in a capacity much like that of a graduate student. They have responsibility for a project appropriate to their abilities which allows them to gain valuable knowledge of how to conduct research which is not taught in a classroom. The other part is designed to involve high school teachers in our research projects allowing for them to get a better understanding of the sciences and mathematics which can then be translated into learning modules for them to take back to their classrooms. Funding of this proposal will allow the Louisiana Tech group to continue to make major contributions to physics research, and enhance the educational opportunities for undergraduate students, local high school students and teachers, providing an excellent avenue for recruiting students into scientific disciplines.