NSF Award
2209199
The medium-energy nuclear experimental program planned by the Ohio University group aims to answer the questions: How does subatomic matter organize itself inside a proton or neutron? and are the fundamental interactions relating to the structure of proton or neutron fully understood? The 2013 report of the National Research Council on the Assessment of and Outlook for Nuclear Physics recognizes both of those questions as central to today’s nuclear physics. Specifically, the PI’s research focuses on studying the internal structure of protons and neutrons. The strong force, one of Nature’s four fundamental forces, governs this internal structure. The PIs will also study the limits of our understanding of Nature’s fundamental forces by looking for physics beyond the Standard Model of particle physics. They will work with an electron beam colliding with a nuclear target at the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility (JLab). PIs Roche and King, three graduate students, and three undergraduate students will perform the research supported by this award. The broader impacts of the program are multifold, including training the next generation of scientists, raising the profile of minority scientists (especially mentoring women in STEM), and engaging the public through STEM education for High School students. <br/><br/>The Ohio group will work on two experiments dedicated to the study of the internal structure of the nucleon using the Generalized Parton Distribution framework. Experiment E12-19-006 measures L-T separation in charged pion production: the group will analyze its data acquired in 2021 and 2022. Experiment E12-13-010 will measure the electroproduction of a photon using the Neutral Particle Spectrometer; Roche is a co-spokesperson of this experiment. Its data-taking will start in 2023. The group will take data and perform their early analysis during this award. In addition, King will coordinate the analysis software development for the next generation of Parity Violation experiments known as MOLLER. Members of the group will also participate in the Hall A SBS experimental program.<br/><br/>This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
