RUI: Probing Subatomic Physics Via Lepton Interactions

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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.