The G0 experiment at Jefferson Laboratory: The nucleon strangeness form factors

The G0 experiment is dedicated to the determination of the strange quark's contribution to the electric and magnetic nucleon form factors, provided by parity-violating asymmetries of cross-sections measured with longitudinaly polarized electrons in elastic electron-proton scattering and quasi-elastic electron-deuteron scattering. Forward angle measurements, which have been performed in Hall C of Jefferson Laboratory, have provided a linear combination of electric and magnetic vector form factors for momentum transfers in the range 0.1 to 1 (GeV/c)^2. Backward angle measurements, which will be performed starting in 2006, will allow the complete separation of the form factors of Q^2 of 0.23 and 0.63 (GeV/c)^2

QGP tomography with photon tagged jets in ALICE

$\gamma +$jet events provide a tomographic measurement of the medium formed in heavy ion collisions at LHC energies. Tagging events with a well identified high $p_{T}$ direct photon and measuring the correlation distribution of hadrons emitted oppositely to the photon, allows us to determine, with a good approximation, both the jet fragmentation function and the back-to-back azimuthal misalignement of the direct photon and the jet. Comparing these two observables measured in $pp$ collisions with the ones measured in $AA$ collisions will reveal the modifications of the jet structure induced by the medium formed in $AA$ collisions and consequently will infer the medium properties.Comment: 3 pages, 3 figures, Proceedings for 5th International Conference on Quarks and Nuclear Physic

The ALICE EMCal L1 trigger first year of operation experience

The ALICE experiment at the LHC is equipped with an electromagnetic calorimeter (EMCal) designed to enhance its capabilities for jet, photon and electron measurement. In addition, the EMCal enables triggering on jets and photons with a centrality dependent energy threshold. After its commissioning in 2010, the EMCal Level 1 (L1) trigger was officially approved for physics data taking in 2011. After describing the L1 hardware and trigger algorithms, the commissioning and the first year of running experience, both in proton and heavy ion beams, are reviewed. Additionally, the upgrades to the original L1 trigger design are detailed.Comment: Proceedings of TWEPP-12, Oxford. 10 pages, 9 figure

Etude de la fragmentation des partons par mesure de corrélations photon-hadrons auprès de l'expérience ALICE au LHC

La théorie de l interaction forte, ou Chromodynamique Quantique (QCD), prédit l existence d une nouvelle phase de la matière nucléaire à très haute température et/ou très haute densité. Cet état est composé de quarks et de gluons déconfinés connu sous le nom de plasma de quarks-gluons (PQG).La mesure de sa composition et de ses propriétés est un enjeu important pour la physique nucléaire du XXIème siècle afin de parvenir à une meilleure compréhension des symétries et des mécanismes fondamentaux à l origine du confinement des quarks au sein des hadrons et de l interaction forte dans son ensemble.L accélérateur LHC (Large Hadron Collider) au CERN (Organisation Européenne pour la Recherche Nucléaire) permet d atteindre les conditions thermodynamiques nécessaires à la formationdu plasma de quarks-gluons à l aide de collisions d ions lourds (Pb) ultra relativistes. L expérience ALICE (A Large Ion Collider Experiment) permet d accéder à un grand nombre d observables pour caractériser le PQG à partir de la reconstruction et de l identification des particules produites lors descollisions. Parmi ces observables, la perte d énergie des partons (quarks, gluons) de haute impulsiontransverse permet une étude des caractéristiques du milieu telle que sa densité et sa température.La perte d énergie des partons est mise en évidence par la modification de la distribution en énergiedes hadrons produits par fragmentation.Cette thèse s articule autour de l analyse des corrélations photon-hadron dans le but d étudierla modification de la fragmentation partonique par le plasma de quarks-gluons. La première partiede cette thèse est consacrée à la caractérisation du calorimètre électromagnétique EMCal, détecteur central pour la mesure en énergie et l identification des photons. La seconde partie est dédiéeà la mesure des corrélations photon-hadron, dont l analyse a portée sur les collisions proton-protond énergie ps = 7 TeV, avant d être appliquée aux collisions Plomb-Plomb d énergie psNN = 2.76TeV. Un effort particulier a été fourni pour optimiser l identification des photons prompts, un des points clés de cette analyse.The strong interaction theory, Quantum Chromodynamic (QCD), predicts a new phase of nuclearmatter at very high temperature and/or very high density. This state is composed of deconfinedquarks and gluons known as the quark-gluon plasma (QGP). The measurement of its compositionand properties is a challenge for the nuclear physics of the 21st century and should lead to a betterunderstanding of the fundamental symetries and mechanisms related to the quarks confinement insidehadrons and the strong interaction generally.The Large Hadron Collider (LHC) accelerator at CERN (European Organization for NuclearResearch) allows to reach the thermodynamic conditions required to create the quark-gluon plasmausing ultra-relativistic heavy ion collisions (Pb). The ALICE experiment (A Large Ion ColliderExperiment) allows to access several probes to characterize the QGP through particles reconstructionand. Among these probes, high energy parton energy loss is used to access medium characteristicssuch as density or temperature. Parton energy loss is estimated from the modification of the energydistribution of hadrons produced by fragmentation.This thesis is dedicated to the photon-hadron correlations analysis in order to study the modificationof the parton fragmentation due to the quark-gluon plasma. First part of this thesis is devotedto the characterization of the electromagnetic calorimeter (EMCal), the central detector for energymeasurement and photon identification. The second part is dedicated to the photon-hadron correlationmeasurement, for the 7 TeV proton-proton collisions and 2.76 TeV Lead-Lead collisions. Animportant work has been done to improve the prompt photon identification, one of the key point ofthis analysis.SAVOIE-SCD - Bib.électronique (730659901) / SudocGRENOBLE1/INP-Bib.électronique (384210012) / SudocGRENOBLE2/3-Bib.électronique (384219901) / SudocSudocFranceF

G0^0 Electronics and Data Acquisition (Forward-Angle Measurements)

The G$^0$ parity-violation experiment at Jefferson Lab (Newport News, VA) is designed to determine the contribution of strange/anti-strange quark pairs to the intrinsic properties of the proton. In the forward-angle part of the experiment, the asymmetry in the cross section was measured for $\vec{e}p$ elastic scattering by counting the recoil protons corresponding to the two beam-helicity states. Due to the high accuracy required on the asymmetry, the G$^0$ experiment was based on a custom experimental setup with its own associated electronics and data acquisition (DAQ) system. Highly specialized time-encoding electronics provided time-of-flight spectra for each detector for each helicity state. More conventional electronics was used for monitoring (mainly FastBus). The time-encoding electronics and the DAQ system have been designed to handle events at a mean rate of 2 MHz per detector with low deadtime and to minimize helicity-correlated systematic errors. In this paper, we outline the general architecture and the main features of the electronics and the DAQ system dedicated to G$^0$ forward-angle measurements.Comment: 35 pages. 17 figures. This article is to be submitted to NIM section A. It has been written with Latex using \documentclass{elsart}. Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment In Press (2007

Eikonal representation in the momentum-transfer space

By means of empirical fits to the differential cross section data on pp and p(bar)p elastic scattering, above 10 GeV (center-of-mass energy), we determine the eikonal in the momentum - transfer space (q^2- space). We make use of a numerical method and a novel semi-analytical method, through which the uncertainties from the fit parameters can be propagated up to the eikonal in the $q^2$- space. A systematic study of the effect of the experimental information at large values of the momentum transfer is developed and discussed in detail. We present statistical evidence that the imaginary part of the eikonal changes sign in the q^2- space and that the position of the zero decreases as the energy increases; after the position of the zero, the eikonal presents a minimum and then goes to zero through negative values. We discuss the applicability of our results in the phenomenological context, outlining some connections with nonperturbative QCD. A short review and a critical discussion on the main results concerning "model-independent" analyses are also presented.Comment: 18 pages, 17 figures, 4 tables, svjour.cls. Revised discussion on the proton's electromagnetic form factor and references added. To appear in Eur. Phys. J.

A precise measurement of the deuteron elastic structure function A(Q^2)

The A(Q^2) structure function in elastic electron-deuteron scattering was measured at six momentum transfers Q^2 between 0.66 and 1.80 (GeV/c)^2 in Hall C at Jefferson Laboratory. The scattered electrons and recoil deuterons were detected in coincidence, at a fixed deuteron angle of 60.5 degrees. These new precise measurements resolve discrepancies between older sets of data. They put significant constraints on existing models of the deuteron electromagnetic structure, and on the strength of isoscalar meson exchange currents.Comment: 3 LaTeX pages plus 2 PS figure

High energy parton-parton amplitudes from lattice QCD and the stochastic vacuum model

Making use of the gluon gauge-invariant two-point correlation function, recently determined by numerical simulation on the lattice in the quenched approximation and the stochastic vacuum model, we calculate the elementary (parton-parton) amplitudes in both impact-parameter and momentum transfer spaces. The results are compared with those obtained from the Kr\"{a}mer and Dosch ansatz for the correlators. Our main conclusion is that the divergences in the correlations functions suggested by the lattice calculations do not affect substantially the elementary amplitudes. Phenomenological and semiempirical information presently available on elementary amplitudes is also referred to and is critically discussed in connection with some theoretical issues.Comment: Text with 11 pages in LaTeX (twocolumn form), 10 figures in PostScript (psfig.tex used). Replaced with changes, Fig.1 modified, two references added, some points clarified, various typos corrected. Version to appear in Phys. Rev.

Elastic electron deuteron scattering with consistent meson exchange and relativistic contributions of leading order

The influence of relativistic contributions to elastic electron deuteron scattering is studied systematically at low and intermediate momentum transfers ($Q^2\leq 30$ fm$^{-2}$). In a $(p/M)$-expansion, all leading order relativistic $\pi$-exchange contributions consistent with the Bonn OBEPQ models are included. In addition, static heavy meson exchange currents including boost terms and lowest order $\rho\pi\gamma$-currents are considered. Sizeable effects from the various relativistic two-body contributions, mainly from $\pi$-exchange, have been found in form factors, structure functions and the tensor polarization $T_{20}$. Furthermore, static properties, viz. magnetic dipole and charge quadrupole moments and the mean square charge radius are evaluated.Comment: 15 pages Latex including 5 figures, final version accepted for publication in Phys.Rev.C Details of changes: (i) The notation of the curves in Figs. 1 and 2 have been clarified with respect to left and right panels. (ii) In Figs. 3 and 4 an experimental point for T_20 has been added and a corresponding reference [48] (iii) At the end of the text we have added a paragraph concerning the quality of the Bonn OBEPQ potential