Simulation Studies with the WASA Detector

Arizona State University, Scottsdale AZ

Investigators

Abstract

For the past several years, the Crystal Ball detector has been providing high-quality data at the Brookhaven National Laboratory for studies of non-strange and strange baryon resonances and their decay modes. Tests of fundamental symmetries of nature have also been made through high-statistics measurements of the decay modes of eta mesons. An experiment for a precision measurement of the up-strange quark mixing element of the Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa (CKM) matrix is being planned and developed. When combined with recent and on-going measurements of the up-down quark mixing matrix element, a critical test of the unitarity of the CKM matrix can be made. Current data suggest a violation from unitarity, and hence a breakdown of the Standard Model, of two standard deviations or more. As an alternative, the WASA detector at The Svedberg Laboratory of Uppsala University in Sweden will complete a research program in 2-3 years and become available for use elsewhere. This detector was designed specifically for the types of experiments such as the CKM experiment. In order to determine whether the WASA detector can also meet the demands of the experiment, similar studies must also be done for it. The studies will be carried out by the Principal Investigator and undergraduate students in this project. The project will directly benefit the education of undergraduate students. Because modeling and simulation studies of complex projects is an ever increasing activity in research and industry, the students will acquire valuable skills which can be carried into graduate studies and subsequent jobs elsewhere in society. When the experiment is ultimately carried out, students from many institutions will be given significant or leading responsibilities within the collaboration, and will work together and with senior colleagues. Such teamwork approaches to complex problems are also highly valued skills which will benefit their future careers.