Factorization and Quark Imaging in Exclusive Reactions

这个项目涵盖了一个对我们理解物质结构和质量起源具有根本重要性的研究计划。重点是通过独家产生和探测单个介子或光子来实验研究强子结构。这样的过程使我们能够获得对强相互作用系统行为的定量描述和可视化(断层图像)。这是通过广义部分子分布(GPD)语言实现的，它可以在一种制度下测量，在这种制度下，探测器在单个夸克上的硬散射可以从携带有关GPD信息的剩余软相互作用中分解出来。因此，杰斐逊实验室运动学中的因式分解测试，无论是在今天还是在12GeV能量升级之后，对于解释GPD数据，进而对于我们理解核子结构是必不可少的。博士后研究人员、研究生和本科生的参与是该项目不可或缺的一部分，为年轻科学家提供了进一步培训和教育的机会。这些将包括学习核物理概念，获得硬件和软件开发的实践经验，以及参与和促进一个主要国家实验室的尖端实验，使其接触到广泛的国际科学界。国际学生联合会在与少数族裔学生打交道方面有着丰富的经验，通过提供女性榜样，她可以鼓励女性继续深造物理学。

This project covers a research program of fundamental importance for our understanding of the structure of matter and the origin of mass. The focus is on experimental investigations of hadron structure through exclusive production and detection of a single meson or photon. Such processes allow us to gain both a quantitative description and a visualization (tomographic image) of the behavior of strongly interacting systems. This is achieved through the language of Generalized Parton Distributions (GPDs), which can be measured in a regime where the hard scattering of the probe on a single quark can be factorized from the residual soft interaction that carries the information about the GPDs. Thus, tests of factorization in the kinematics of Jefferson Lab, both today and after the 12 GeV energy upgrade, are essential for the interpretation of GPD data, and in turn for our understanding of nucleon structure.The participation of postdoctoral researchers, graduate students, and undergraduate students is an integral part of the project, providing young scientists with opportunities to further their training and education. These will include learning nuclear physics concepts, getting hands-on experience in development of hardware and software, as well as participating in and contributing to cutting edge experiments at a major national laboratory, providing exposure to a broad international scientific community. The PI has considerable experience working with minority students, and by providing a female role model, she could encourage women to pursue advanced studies in physics.