RUI: Probing Subatomic Physics Via Lepton Interactions

詹姆斯·麦迪逊大学粒子与核物理(JMU-PNP)小组的目标是将对中能核物理顶尖研究的重要贡献与为有前途的本科生提供出色的教育经验相结合。这三名教员和他们的学生专注于旨在探索核子(中子和质子)结构的研究，核子是任何原子核的基本构件。虽然人们普遍认为，核子是由三个夸克(被视为基本粒子)通过胶子交换不断相互作用而组成的，但目前还没有关于产生和支配多夸克系统(质子、中子、原子核)演化的完整机制的图景。该小组参与的研究旨在通过使用电子、µ子和中微子探测器绘制原子核和核子结构的图表来澄清这一图景。该小组还参与了测量Muon寿命的工作，该常数可用于提取费米耦合常数，费米耦合常数决定了四种基本力之一--弱力的强度。目前，该小组积极参与了位于B和C厅的杰斐逊实验室(探测器设计和测试、数据获取、数据分析)、费米拉实验室(研究中微子-核相互作用的Minerva实验)和保罗·谢勒研究所(测量Muon寿命)的正在进行的研究。此外，JMU-PNP小组成员是探测器开发的关键参与者，这是杰斐逊实验室12GeV能量升级的一部分，也是将利用这次升级的实验的主要研究人员。

The goal of the James Madison University Particle and Nuclear Physics (JMU-PNP) group is to integrate important contributions to top notch research in Intermediate Energy Nuclear Physics with an outstanding educational experience for promising undergraduate students. The three faculty members and their students focus on research designed to explore the structure of nucleons (neutrons and protons) which are the basic building blocks of any atomic nucleus. While it is widely accepted that nucleons are composed of three quarks (viewed as fundamental particles) in constant interaction via gluon exchange, a complete picture of the mechanisms that give rise and govern the evolution of multi-quark systems (protons, neutrons, nuclei) is not yet available. The group participates in studies aimed at clarifying this picture by charting the structure of nuclei and nucleons using electron, muon, and neutrino probes. The group is also involved in measuring the muon lifetime which can be used to extract the Fermi coupling constant which determines the strength of one of the four fundamental forces, the weak force.Currently the group is actively involved in ongoing research at Jefferson Lab in experimental Halls B and C (detector design and testing, data taking, data analysis), Fermilab (Minerva experiment studying Neutrino-Nucleus Interactions), and Paul Scherrer Institute (measuring the muon lifetime). Additionally, the JMU-PNP group members are key participants in detector development that is part of the 12 GeV energy upgrade at Jefferson Lab and are principal investigators on experiments that will take advantage of this upgrade.