RUI: Studying the Strong Nuclear Force at Augustana College

该奖项使在南达科他州苏福尔斯的奥古斯塔纳学院创建一个新的科学计划和实验室成为可能，该计划和实验室致力于研究强核力，即负责原子核中质子和中子结合的力。这一奖项将研究的中心问题是理解原子核中低能胶子的运动学，低能胶子是调节强力的粒子。这将通过构建一个新的探测器组件来研究，该探测器组件将被添加到PHENIX实验中，该组件将测量p+A碰撞中中性介子和直接光子的小角度产生。产生率与A核中胶子的运动学直接相关。同时，该小组将进行数据分析，以熟悉现有的探测器，并学习如何最好地结合当前的探测器和新的扩展。这个强核物理项目将是南达科他州的第一个此类项目。它为那些在该州和该地区的人提供了学习这种物理学的机会，而他们几乎没有机会。该奖项将资助同时学习物理学和工程学预科的本科生的研究。对学生的教育益处是广泛的。将进行数据分析和探测器开发，这些技能对任何物理或工程领域都是通用的。他们的研究经验将教授或加强在计算机科学、数学和物理方面学到的技能。对于刚开始的本科生来说，这一领域的研究将使他们及早接触到更先进的概念，让他们获得更多的机会来帮助学习过程。那些对工程感兴趣的人将从现场完成的探测器测试和开发中受益。此外，由于科学不是单独完成的，学生们将前往其他机构和布鲁克海文国家实验室，帮助安装和维护探测器。这将为他们提供与来自世界各地的科学家见面的机会，并让他们接触到潜在的研究生院。

This award makes possible the creation of a new scientic program and laboratory at Augustana College in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, devoted to the study of the strong nuclear force, the force responsible for the binding of protons and neutrons in a nucleus. The central question that will be studied in this award is an understanding of the kinematics of low-energy gluons, the particles that mediate the strong force, in the nucleus. This will be studied with the construction of a new detector component to be added to the PHENIX experiment that will measure small angle production of neutral pions and direct photons in p+A collisions. The rate of production is directly related to the kinematics of the gluon in the nucleus A. In parallel, the group will be performing data analysis to become familiar with the existing detector and learn how to best combine the current detector and the new extension.This program in strong nuclear physics will be the first of its kind in South Dakota. It provides those in the state and the region access to studying this physics where they have little opportunity. The award will fund research for undergraduates studying both physics and pre-engineering. The educational benefit for the students is broad. Both data analysis and detector development will be conducted, skills which are of general use to any physics or engineering field. Their research experience will teach or reinforce skills learned in computer science, mathematics, and in physics. For beginning undergraduates, research in this area will introduce them early to more advanced concepts giving them additional exposure aiding the learning process. Those interested in engineering will benefit from the detector testing and development that will be done on site. Further, since science is not done alone, students will travel to other institutions and to Brookhaven National Laboratory to help install and maintain the detector. This will provide them with opportunities to meet scientists from around the world and put them in contact with potential graduate schools.