MRI Consortium: Development of a Complete Kaon Detection System for Hall C at 12 GeV JLab

Catholic University Of America, Washington DC

Investigators

Abstract

This award will fund a new detector system for kaon identification which will open up new opportunities for conducting leading-edge research in Hall C at the Jefferson Laboratory after the 12-GeV upgrade. The underlying scientific objective of the kaon program is to study quarks through exclusive and semi-inclusive reactions. From the latter we can, for instance, learn about the transverse momentum of the quarks inside a proton, while the former can tell us about the transverse size of the produced meson (kaon), which is directly linked to factorization and color transparency in Quantum Chromo Dynamics (QCD). This factorization of short- and long-range interactions is also a prerequisite for the creation of a tomographic image of the proton using the language of Generalized Parton Distributions (GPDs), and thus essential for the interpretability of the GPD program at 12 GeV. The proposed instrument will be a standalone device that can be used together with the new Super High Momentum Spectrometer. It will be built by a collaboration of researchers led by the Catholic University of America. It will also include the University of South Carolina, Mississippi State University, Florida International University, and as non-lead partners (not receiving funding) the Jefferson Laboratory and the Yerevan Physics Institute. 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 and getting hands-on experience in the development of hardware and software. Participating in and contributing to experiments at a major national laboratory also provides exposure to a broad international scientific community. The project leadership by two women physicists could provide a role model for other women and encourage them to pursue advanced studies in physics.