Absolute Measurement of the Polarization of High Energy Proton Beams at RHIC

The spin physics program at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) requires knowledge of the beam polarization to better than 5%. Such a goal is made the more difficult by the lack of knowledge of the analyzing power of high energy nuclear physics processes. To overcome this, a polarized hydrogen jet target was constructed and installed at one intersection region in RHIC where it intersects both beams and utilizes the precise knowledge of the jet atomic hydrogen beam polarization to measure the analyzing power in proton-proton elastic scattering in the Nuclear Coulomb Interference (CNI) region at the prescribed RHIC proton beam energy. The reverse reaction is used to assess the absolute beam polarization. Simultaneous measurements taken with fast high statistics polarimeters that measure the p-Carbon elastic scattering process also in the CNI region use the jet results to calibrate the latter

p-Carbon polarimetry at RHIC.

The polarization measurement through elastic ({rvec p},C) reaction plays a crucial role in the polarized proton beam operation of Relativistic Heavy Ion collider at Brookhaven National Laboratory. As well as measuring the polarization, the unknown analyzing power A{sub N} of elastic ({rvec p},C) is determined as well in combination with the absolute polarization measurement by a H-jet polarimeter. The systematic uncertainty of the Run05 measurements are discussed as well as introducing the experimental apparatus of the polarimeter system

RHIC polarimetry

Polarimeters were developed to measure the polarization of the proton beam at RHIC in relative scale through the asymmetry measurement of the elastic proton-carbon scattering. Recoil carbon ions with kinetic energy of 400 ≤ E ≤ 900 keV were detected by silicon strip detectors installed at 90° with respect to the beam. The absolute polarization is given by normalizing against another polarimeter implemented at RHIC, namely a polarized hydrogen gas jet polarimeter. In this report, the details of polarization measurements, data analysis, and systematic uncertainties are discussed based on the data taken during ∫s = 200 GeV operation of Run 05 at RHIC

Novel Structure Function for Photon Fragmentation into a Λ\Lambda Hyperon and Transverse Λ\Lambda Polarization in Unpolarized Electron-Positron Annihilation

The possibility is examined for the inclusive $\Lambda$ in unpolarized electron-positron annihilation to be transversely polarized. Due to final-state interactions, there exists a novel structure function $\hat F(z,Q^2)$ for the inclusive $\Lambda$ hyperon (or any other baryons) production from the unpolarized time-like photon fragmentation, which makes contribution to the transverse $\Lambda$ polarization in the unpolarized electron-positron annihilation.Comment: RevTex, 4 pages, the version appearing in Phys. Rev.

A New Relative Proton Polarimeter for RHIC

An innovative polarimeter based on proton carbon elastic scattering in the Coulomb Nuclear Interference (CNI) region has been installed and commissioned in the Blue ring of RHIC during the first RHIC polarized proton commissioning in September, 2000. The polarimeter consists of ultra-thin carbon targets and four silicon detectors. All elements are in a 1.6 meter vacuum chamber. This paper summarizes the polarimeter design issues and recent commissioning results

Absolute Polarimetry at RHIC

Precise and absolute beam polarization measurements are critical for the RHIC spin physics program. Because all experimental spin-dependent results are normalized by beam polarization, the normalization uncertainty contributes directly to final physics uncertainties. We aimed to perform the beam polarization measurement to an accuracy Of {Delta}P{sub beam}/P{sub beam} < 5%. The absolute polarimeter consists of Polarized Atomic Hydrogen Gas Jet Target and left-right pairs of silicon strip detectors and was installed in the RHIC-ring in 2004. This system features proton-proton elastic scattering in the Coulomb nuclear interference (CNI) region. Precise measurements of the analyzing power A{sub N} of this process has allowed us to achieve {Delta}P{sub beam}/P{sub beam} = 4.2% in 2005 for the first long spin-physics run. In this report, we describe the entire set up and performance of the system. The procedure of beam polarization measurement and analysis results from 2004-2005 are described. Physics topics of AN in the CNI region (four-momentum transfer squared 0.001 < -t < 0.032 (GeV/c){sup 2}) are also discussed. We point out the current issues and expected optimum accuracy in 2006 and the future

ACCELERATING POLARIZED PROTONS TO HIGH ENERGY.

The Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) is designed to provide collisions of high energy polarized protons for the quest of understanding the proton spin structure. Polarized proton collisions at a beam energy of 100 GeV have been achieved in RHIC since 2001. Recently, polarized proton beam was accelerated to 250 GeV in RHIC for the first time. Unlike accelerating unpolarized protons, the challenge for achieving high energy polarized protons is to fight the various mechanisms in an accelerator that can lead to partial or total polarization loss due to the interaction of the spin vector with the magnetic fields. We report on the progress of the RHIC polarized proton program. We also present the strategies of how to preserve the polarization through the entire acceleration chain, i.e. a 200 MeV linear accelerator, the Booster, the AGS and RHIC

Beam Energy and Centrality Dependence of Direct-Photon Emission from Ultrarelativistic Heavy-Ion Collisions.

The PHENIX collaboration presents first measurements of low-momentum (0.41  GeV/c) direct-photon yield dN_{γ}^{dir}/dη is a smooth function of dN_{ch}/dη and can be well described as proportional to (dN_{ch}/dη)^{α} with α≈1.25. This scaling behavior holds for a wide range of beam energies at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider and the Large Hadron Collider, for centrality selected samples, as well as for different A+A collision systems. At a given beam energy, the scaling also holds for high p_{T} (>5  GeV/c), but when results from different collision energies are compared, an additional sqrt[s_{NN}]-dependent multiplicative factor is needed to describe the integrated-direct-photon yield

Search for Lorentz and CPT Violation Effects in Muon Spin Precession

Abstract. We discuss some recent integral field spectroscopy using the SAURON instrument of a sample consisting of 24 early-type spirals, part of the SAURON Survey, and 18 late-type spirals. Using 2-dimensional maps of their stellar radial velocity, velocity dispersion, and absorption line strength, it is now much easier to understand the nature of nearby galactic bulges. We discuss a few highlights of this work, and point out some new ideas about the formation of galactic bulges.

Commissioning Cni Proton Polarimeters in Rhic.

Two polarimeters based on proton carbon elastic scattering in the Coulomb Nuclear Interference (CNI) region have been installed and commissioned in the Blue and Yellow rings of RHIC during the first RHIC polarized proton collider run. Each polarimeter consists of ultra-thin carbon targets and six silicon detectors. With newly developed wave form digitizers, they provide fast and reliable polarization information for both rings