Parity-Violating Electron Scattering

这项补助金支持阿姆斯特朗和芬恩教授在威廉和玛丽学院的研究。 该小组利用托马斯杰斐逊国家加速器设施提供的极化电子束进行核物理实验。 这些实验利用了电子散射中微小的“镜像对称”破坏，这是由于弱中性电流相互作用的存在而发生的，否则对散射过程的贡献并不明显。 这种“宇称破缺”技术被用于探测质子和中子的夸克结构，研究中子在重核中的分布（这对理解中子星具有重要意义），以及寻找粒子物理学标准模型之外的可能的新作用力或新粒子。该基金支持一名博士后研究员和四名研究生。 本科生的大量参与也预计通过高级研究项目和威廉和玛丽的REU网站程序。

This grant supports the research of Professors Armstrong and Finn at the College of William and Mary. The group conducts nuclear physics experiments using the polarized electron beam available at the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility. These experiments utilize the tiny violation of "mirror symmetry" in electron scattering, which occurs due to the presence of the weak neutral-current interaction, an otherwise unnoticeable contribution to the scattering process. This "parity-violation" technique is being used to probe the quark structure of protons and neutrons, to study the distribution of neutrons in a heavy nucleus (which has important implications for understanding neutron stars), and to search for possible new forces or new particles beyond those in the Standard Model of particle physics.The grant supports a postdoctoral fellow and four graduate students. Substantial involvement of undergraduate students is also anticipated through senior research projects and the REU site program at William and Mary.