The Charge Form Factor of the Neutron at Low Momentum Transfer from the 2H⃗(e⃗,e′n)p^{2}\vec{\rm H}(\vec{\rm e},{\rm e}'{\rm n}){\rm p} Reaction

We report new measurements of the neutron charge form factor at low momentum transfer using quasielastic electrodisintegration of the deuteron. Longitudinally polarized electrons at an energy of 850 MeV were scattered from an isotopically pure, highly polarized deuterium gas target. The scattered electrons and coincident neutrons were measured by the Bates Large Acceptance Spectrometer Toroid (BLAST) detector. The neutron form factor ratio $G^{n}_{E}/G^{n}_{M}$ was extracted from the beam-target vector asymmetry $A_{ed}^{V}$ at four-momentum transfers $Q^{2}=0.14$, 0.20, 0.29 and 0.42 (GeV/c)$^{2}$.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figures, submitted to Phys. Rev. Let

Measurement of the proton electric to magnetic form factor ratio from \vec ^1H(\vec e, e'p)

We report the first precision measurement of the proton electric to magnetic form factor ratio from spin-dependent elastic scattering of longitudinally polarized electrons from a polarized hydrogen internal gas target. The measurement was performed at the MIT-Bates South Hall Ring over a range of four-momentum transfer squared $Q^2$ from 0.15 to 0.65 (GeV/c)$^2$. Significantly improved results on the proton electric and magnetic form factors are obtained in combination with previous cross-section data on elastic electron-proton scattering in the same $Q^2$ region.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figures, submitted to PR

Measurement of the Vector and Tensor Asymmetries at Large Missing Momentum in Quasielastic (\u3cem\u3ee\u3c/em\u3e\u3csup\u3e→\u3c/sup\u3e,\u3cem\u3ee\u27p\u3c/em\u3e Electron Scattering from Deuterium

We report the measurement of the beam-vector and tensor asymmetries AVed and ATd in quasielastic (e→,e′p) electrodisintegration of the deuteron at the MIT-Bates Linear Accelerator Center up to missing momentum of 500  MeV/c. Data were collected simultaneously over a momentum transfer range 0.1 \u3c Q2 \u3c 0.5  (GeV/c)2 with the Bates Large Acceptance Spectrometer Toroid using an internal deuterium gas target polarized sequentially in both vector and tensor states. The data are compared with calculations. The beam-vector asymmetry AVed is found to be directly sensitive to the D-wave component of the deuteron and has a zero crossing at a missing momentum of about 320  MeV/c, as predicted. The tensor asymmetry ATd at large missing momentum is found to be dominated by the influence of the tensor force in the neutron-proton final-state interaction. The new data provide a strong constraint on theoretical models

Measurement of the Vector and Tensor Asymmetries at Large Missing Momentum in Quasielastic ([→ over e],e′p) Electron Scattering from Deuterium

We report the measurement of the beam-vector and tensor asymmetries A[subscript ed][superscript V] and A[subscript d][superscript T] in quasielastic ([→ over e],e′p) electrodisintegration of the deuteron at the MIT-Bates Linear Accelerator Center up to missing momentum of 500  MeV/c. Data were collected simultaneously over a momentum transfer range 0.1<Q[superscript 2]<0.5  (GeV/c)[superscript 2] with the Bates Large Acceptance Spectrometer Toroid using an internal deuterium gas target polarized sequentially in both vector and tensor states. The data are compared with calculations. The beam-vector asymmetry A[subscript ed][superscript V] is found to be directly sensitive to the D-wave component of the deuteron and has a zero crossing at a missing momentum of about 320  MeV/c, as predicted. The tensor asymmetry A[subscript d][superscript T] at large missing momentum is found to be dominated by the influence of the tensor force in the neutron-proton final-state interaction. The new data provide a strong constraint on theoretical models

Precise Measurement of Deuteron Tensor Analyzing Powers with BLAST

We report a precision measurement of the deuteron tensor analyzing powers T[subscript 20] and T[subscript 21] at the MIT-Bates Linear Accelerator Center. Data were collected simultaneously over a momentum transfer range Q=2.15–4.50  fm[superscript -1] with the Bates Large Acceptance Spectrometer Toroid using a highly polarized deuterium internal gas target. The data are in excellent agreement with calculations in a framework of effective field theory. The deuteron charge monopole and quadrupole form factors G[subscript C] and G[subscript Q] were separated with improved precision, and the location of the first node of G[subscript C] was confirmed at Q=4.19±0.05  fm[superscript -1]. The new data provide a strong constraint on theoretical models in a momentum transfer range covering the minimum of T[subscript 20] and the first node of G[subscript C].National Science Foundation (U.S.)United States. Dept. of Energ

Role of mesons in the electromagnetic form factors of the nucleon

The roles played by mesons in the electromagnetic form factors of the nucleon are explored using as a basis a model containing vector mesons with coupling to the continuum together with the asymptotic Q2 [Q superscript 2] behavior of perturbative QCD. Specifically, the vector dominance model (GKex) developed by E. L. Lomon is employed, as it is known to be very successful in representing the existing high-quality data published to date. An analysis is made of the experimental uncertainties present when the differences between the GKex model and the data are expanded in orthonormal basis functions. A main motivation for the present study is to provide insight into how the various ingredients in this model yield the measured behavior, including discussions of when dipole form factors are to be expected or not, of which mesons are the major contributors, for instance, at low Q2 [Q superscript 2] or large distances, and of what effects are predicted from coupling to the continuum. Such insights are first discussed in momentum space, followed by an analysis of how different and potentially useful information emerges when both the experimental and theoretical electric form factors are Fourier transformed to coordinate space. While these Fourier transforms should not be interpreted as “charge distributions,” nevertheless the roles played by the various mesons, especially those which are dominant at large or small distance scales, can be explored via such experiment–theory comparisons.United States. Dept. of Energy (Cooperative agreement DEFC02- 94ER40818)National Science Foundation (U.S.) (Grant no. PHY-0855584

The BLAST experiment

The Bates large acceptance spectrometer toroid (BLAST) experiment was operated at the MIT-Bates Linear Accelerator Center from 2003 until 2005. The detector and experimental program were designed to study, in a systematic manner, the spin-dependent electromagnetic interaction in few-nucleon systems. As such the data will provide improved measurements for neutron, proton, and deuteron form factors. The data will also allow details of the reaction mechanism, such as the role of final state interactions, pion production, and resonances to be studied. The experiment used: a longitudinally polarized electron beam stored in the South Hall Storage Ring; a highly polarized, isotopically pure, internal gas target of hydrogen or deuterium provided by an atomic beam source; and a symmetric, general purpose detector based on a toroidal spectrometer with tracking, time-of-flight, Cherenkov, and neutron detectors. Details of the experiment and operation are presented. © 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved