RUI: Studying the Strong Nuclear Force at Augustana University

该奖项延续了位于南达科他州苏福尔斯的奥古斯塔纳大学的科学计划和实验室，致力于研究强核力，这种力负责将质子和中子结合在原子核中。该计划的重点是了解胶子，通过强相互作用交换的粒子，在核中。通过胶子含量来理解原子核的结合，可以在最基本的层面上直接探索我们周围和我们内部的物质。该计划将以两种方式进行。首先，目前的数据从PHENIX实验在相对论重离子对撞机（RHIC）在布鲁克海文国家实验室将进行分析。第二，正在建造一个实验室，用于测试下一代实验sPHENIX的硅光电倍增管（SiPM）探测器。SiPM是低成本、低功耗的光收集设备，在科学和工业中具有多种应用。学生将帮助开发和实施sPHENIX探测器的125，000个SiPM中的一部分的测试。这个强核物理学项目是南达科他州同类项目中的第一个。它将为该州和该地区的人们提供学习这种物理学的机会，因为他们几乎没有机会。该项目将为学习物理和工程预科的本科生提供研究资金。对学生的教育益处将是广泛的。学生将获得计算机编程，大型数据集分析，电气工程应用和机械工程设计等方面的实用技能。这些都是可转移的技能，对学生，国家和民族感兴趣的许多领域。那些对工程感兴趣的人将受益于现场进行的探测器测试和开发。学生将参加每周的合作会议，出席全国会议，并访问合作机构。这样的机会将培养他们的沟通技巧，发展他们的专业网络，让他们与潜在的研究生院联系，并为21世纪的技术工作做好准备。在强有力的物理学中，一个突出的问题是胶子在低动量分数的原子核中的行为。这个奖项继续由PI和本科生的工作，以两种方式研究这个问题。首先，对2016年在相对论重离子对撞机（RHIC）上PHENIX实验记录的d-Au碰撞中π-0介子之间和/或π-0介子与带电强子之间的方位角关联进行了分析和测定。这些相关性将利用PHENIX的最新子探测器，μ子活塞量热计扩展（MPC-EX），该探测器是一种具有高度分段的硅钨预簇射探测器，可以分离能量小于80 GeV的π-0衰变的光子。MPC + MPC-EX位于3到4之间的赝快度处，正赝快度定义为Au方向。对率和对相关的形状应该产生洞察力的数量和运动学的低动量分数胶子在核中。其次，该小组正在从PHENIX过渡到sPHENIX，这是一项在PHENIX相互作用区域建立下一代重离子探测器的新合作，该探测器将利用2020年以后运行的高亮度RHIC。 Augustana致力于执行硅光电倍增管（SiPM）测试的一部分。电磁和强子量热计光收集将用大约125，000个SiPM完成。 Augustana将帮助设计和实施测试。

This award continues the scientific program and laboratory at Augustana University in Sioux Falls, South Dakota devoted to the study of the strong nuclear force, the force responsible for binding protons and neutrons in nuclei. The program's focus is to understand the gluons, particles exchanged through the strong force interaction, in the nucleus. Understanding the binding of nuclei by their gluon content directly explores the matter around us and within us at the most fundamental level. This program will be carried out in two ways. First, current data from the PHENIX experiment at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) at Brookhaven National Laboratory will be analyzed. Second, a laboratory that will test silicon photomultiplier (SiPM) detectors for the next-generation experiment, sPHENIX is being built. The SiPMs are low-cost, low-power usage light collection devices with multiple applications in science and industry. Students will help develop and implement tests for a portion of the 125,000 SiPMs for the sPHENIX detector. This program in strong nuclear physics is the first of its kind in South Dakota. It will provide those in the state and the region access to studying this physics where they have had little opportunity. The project will fund research for undergraduates studying both physics and pre-engineering. The educational benefits for the students will be broad. Students will gain practical skills in computer programming, analysis of large data sets, electrical engineering application, and mechanical engineering design just to name a few. These are transferable skills to many areas of interest to the students, the state, and the nation. Those interested in engineering will benefit from the detector testing and development that will be done on site. Students will participate in weekly collaboration meetings, present at national conferences, and visit collaborating institutions. Such opportunities will build their communication skills, grow their profession network, put them in contact with potential graduate schools, and prepare them for the 21st-century technical jobs.An outstanding question in strong-force physics is the behavior of gluons in a nucleus at low momentum fraction. This award continues work by the PI and undergraduates to study this issue in two ways. First, the analysis and determination of the azimuthal correlations between pi-0 mesons and/or between pi-0 mesons and charged hadrons in d-Au collisions recorded by the PHENIX experiment at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) in 2016 is proposed. These correlations will utilize the newest sub-detector of PHENIX, the Muon Piston Calorimeter Extension (MPC-EX), this detector is a silicon-tungsten pre-shower detector with high segmentation that can separate photons from pi-0 decays with energies less than 80 GeV. The MPC + MPC-EX is located at a pseudorapidity between three and four, with the positive pseduorapidity defined as the Au-going direction. The pair rate and pair correlation shapes should yield insights to the number and kinematics of low momentum fraction gluons in the nucleus. Second, the group is transitioning from PHENIX to sPHENIX, a new collaboration building a next-generation heavy ion detector in the PHENIX interaction region, which will take advantage of high-luminosity RHIC running beyond 2020. Augustana is committed to performing a portion of the silicon photomultiplier (SiPM) testing. Both electromagnetic and hadronic calorimeter light collection will be done with approximately 125,000 SiPMs. Augustana will help design and implement the testing.