Parity violating target asymmetry in electron - proton scattering

We analyze the parity-violating (PV) components of the analyzing power in elastic electron-proton scattering and discuss their sensitivity to the strange quark contributions to the proton weak form factors. We point out that the component of the analyzing power along the momentum transfer is independent of the electric weak form factor and thus compares favorably with the PV beam asymmetry for a determination of the strangeness magnetic moment. We also show that the transverse component could be used for constraining the strangeness radius. Finally, we argue that a measurement of both components could give experimental information on the strangeness axial charge.Comment: 24 pages, Latex, 5 eps figures, submitted to Phys.Rev.

Future Directions in Parity Violation: From Quarks to the Cosmos

I discuss the prospects for future studies of parity-violating (PV) interactions at low energies and the insights they might provide about open questions in the Standard Model as well as physics that lies beyond it. I cover four types of parity-violating observables: PV electron scattering; PV hadronic interactions; PV correlations in weak decays; and searches for the permanent electric dipole moments of quantum systems.Comment: Talk given at PAVI 06 workshop on parity-violating interactions, Milos, Greece (May, 2006); 10 page

Transverse Momentum Dependent Parton Distribution/Fragmentation Functions at an Electron-Ion Collider

We present a summary of a recent workshop held at Duke University on Partonic Transverse Momentum in Hadrons: Quark Spin-Orbit Correlations and Quark-Gluon Interactions. The transverse momentum dependent parton distribution functions (TMDs), parton-to-hadron fragmentation functions, and multi-parton correlation functions, were discussed extensively at the Duke workshop. In this paper, we summarize first the theoretical issues concerning the study of partonic structure of hadrons at a future electron-ion collider (EIC) with emphasis on the TMDs. We then present simulation results on experimental studies of TMDs through measurements of single spin asymmetries (SSA) from semi-inclusive deep-inelastic scattering (SIDIS) processes with an EIC, and discuss the requirement of the detector for SIDIS measurements. The dynamics of parton correlations in the nucleon is further explored via a study of SSA in D (`D) production at large transverse momenta with the aim of accessing the unexplored tri-gluon correlation functions. The workshop participants identified the SSA measurements in SIDIS as a golden program to study TMDs in both the sea and valence quark regions and to study the role of gluons, with the Sivers asymmetry measurements as examples. Such measurements will lead to major advancement in our understanding of TMDs in the valence quark region, and more importantly also allow for the investigation of TMDs in the sea quark region along with a study of their evolution.Comment: 44 pages 23 figures, summary of Duke EIC workshop on TMDs accepted by EPJ

Strangeness in the Nucleon on the Light-Cone

Strange matrix elements of the nucleon are calculated within the light-cone formulation of the meson cloud model. The $Q^2$ dependence of the strange vector and axial vector form factors is computed, and the strangeness radius and magnetic moment extracted, both of which are found to be very small and slightly negative. Within the same framework one finds a small but non-zero excess of the antistrange distribution over the strange at large $x$. Kaon loops are unlikely, however, to be the source of a large polarized strange quark distribution.Comment: 22 pages revtex, 7 postscript figures, accepted for publication in Phys. Rev.

Strong evidences of hadron acceleration in Tycho's Supernova Remnant

Very recent gamma-ray observations of G120.1+1.4 (Tycho's) supernova remnant (SNR) by Fermi-LAT and VERITAS provided new fundamental pieces of information for understanding particle acceleration and non-thermal emission in SNRs. We want to outline a coherent description of Tycho's properties in terms of SNR evolution, shock hydrodynamics and multi-wavelength emission by accounting for particle acceleration at the forward shock via first order Fermi mechanism. We adopt here a quick and reliable semi-analytical approach to non-linear diffusive shock acceleration which includes magnetic field amplification due to resonant streaming instability and the dynamical backreaction on the shock of both cosmic rays (CRs) and self-generated magnetic turbulence. We find that Tycho's forward shock is accelerating protons up to at least 500 TeV, channelling into CRs about the 10 per cent of its kinetic energy. Moreover, the CR-induced streaming instability is consistent with all the observational evidences indicating a very efficient magnetic field amplification (up to ~300 micro Gauss). In such a strong magnetic field the velocity of the Alfv\'en waves scattering CRs in the upstream is expected to be enhanced and to make accelerated particles feel an effective compression factor lower than 4, in turn leading to an energy spectrum steeper than the standard prediction {\propto} E^-2. This latter effect is crucial to explain the GeV-to-TeV gamma-ray spectrum as due to the decay of neutral pions produced in nuclear collisions between accelerated nuclei and the background gas. The self-consistency of such an hadronic scenario, along with the fact that the concurrent leptonic mechanism cannot reproduce both the shape and the normalization of the detected the gamma-ray emission, represents the first clear and direct radiative evidence that hadron acceleration occurs efficiently in young Galactic SNRs.Comment: Minor changes. Accepted for publication in Astronomy & Astrophysic

Two-body disintegration of the deuteron with 0.8–1.8 GeV photons

The differential cross section for the reaction 2H(γ,p)n has been measured at several center-of-mass angles ranging from 50° to 143° for photon energies between 0.8 and 1.8 GeV. The experiment was performed at the SLAC-NPAS facility with the use of the 1.6 GeV/c spectrometer to detect the high energy protons produced by a bremsstrahlung beam directed at a liquid deuterium target. Contributions from concurrent disintegration by the residual electron beam were determined by measuring the proton yield without the Cu photon radiator. At angles not very far from 90°, the energy dependence of the cross sections is consistent with predictions of scaling using counting rules for constituent quarks. At least one theoretical calculation based on a meson-baryon picture of the reaction is able to reproduce the magnitude and energy dependence of the 90° cross section. The angular distribution exhibits a large enhancement at backward angles at the higher energies

Automated method for the analysis of organic explosive residues by HPLC with a pendant mercury drop electrode detector

A system has been developed for the automated analysis of organic explosive residues by high-performance liquid chromatography with a pendant mercury drop electrode detector (HPLC-PMDE). Previously it was only possible to deoxygenate samples manually, prior to HPLC-PMDE analysis. Using a programmable autoinjector and a universal switching-valve with on-line nitrogen, this process has been automated. The automated system has been successfully applied to the routine analysis of casework samples