Measurement of target single-spin asymmetry in charged kaon electroproduction on a transversely polarized 3He target

Wang, Youcai

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https://hdl.handle.net/2142/26185 Copy

Description

Title

Measurement of target single-spin asymmetry in charged kaon electroproduction on a transversely polarized 3He target

Author(s)

Wang, Youcai

Issue Date

2011-08-25T22:17:48Z

Director of Research (if dissertation) or Advisor (if thesis)

Peng, Jen-Chieh

Doctoral Committee Chair(s)

• Stack, John D.
• Nathan, Alan M.

Committee Member(s)

• Peng, Jen-Chieh
• Willenbrock, Scott S.

Department of Study

Physics

Discipline

Physics

Degree Granting Institution

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Degree Name

Ph.D.

Degree Level

Dissertation

Keyword(s)

• quark transverse spin
• transverse momentum distribution
• semi-inclusive deep inelastic scattering
• transversely polarized ^{3}He target
• single-spin-asymmetry (SSA)
• azimuthal angular modulation
• fragmentation function
• Collins moment
• Sivers moment
• Ring-Imaging Cherenkov detector (RICH)
• Maximum Likelihood method

Abstract

The subject of quark transverse spin and transverse momentum distribution are two current research frontier in understanding the spin structure of the nucleons. The goal of the research reported in this dissertation is to extract new information on the quark transversity distribution and the novel transverse-momentum-dependent Sivers function in the neutron. A semi-inclusive deep inelastic scattering experiment was performed at the Hall A of the Jefferson laboratory using 5.9 GeV electron beam and a transversely polarized ^{3}He target. The scattered electrons and the produced hadrons (pions, kaons, and protons) were detected in coincidence with two large magnetic spectrometers. By regularly flipping the spin direction of the transversely polarized target, the single-spin-asymmetry (SSA) of the semi-inclusive deep inelastic reaction ^{3}He^{uparrow}(e,e'h^{\pm})X was measured over the kinematic range 0.13 < x < 0.41 and 1.3 < Q^{2} < 3.1 (GeV)^{2}. The SSA contains several different azimuthal angular modulations which are convolutions of quarks distribution functions in the nucleons and the quark fragmentation functions into hadrons. It is from the extraction of the various ``moments'' of these azimuthal angular distributions (Collins moment and Sivers moment) that we obtain information on the quark transversity distribution and the novel T-odd Sivers function. In this dissertation, I first introduced the theoretical background and experimental status of nucleon spins and the physics of SSA. I will then present the experimental setup and data collection of the JLab E06-010 experiment. Details of data analysis will be discussed next with emphasis on the kaon particle identification and the Ring-Imaging Cherenkov detector which are my major responsibilities in this experiment. Finally, results on the kaon Collins and Sivers moments extracted from the Maximum Likelihood method will be presented and interpreted. I will conclude with a discussion on the future prospects for this research.

Graduation Semester

2011-08

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http://hdl.handle.net/2142/26185

Copyright and License Information

Copyright 2011 Youcai Wang.

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