Improved Crystal Method for Photon Beam Linear Polarization Measurement at High Energies

A method for photon linear polarization determination based on the measurement of the asymmetry of pairs produced by polarized photons in single crystals within the optimal intervals of pair particles energies is proposed. In difference to the well known methods the asymmetry in this case is essentially larger. The optimal orientation of crystal is found which provides the maximal values for analyzing power and figure of merit as well as minimal measurement time.Comment: 8 pages, 5 figure

GENERATION AND DETECTION OF THE POLARIZATION OF MULTI-GEV PHOTONS BY USE OF TWO DIAMOND CRYSTALS

Abstract Presented are experimental results for the difference in pair production probability (the asymmetry) for 5–150 GeV photons polarized parallel and perpendicular to a (110) plane in a 1.5 mm thick diamond 〈100〉 crystal. The photons are produced by interaction of 150 GeV electrons with an aligned diamond 〈100〉 crystal of 0.5 mm thickness. A significant asymmetry is found over the whole energy range, which corresponds to a high degree of linear polarization of the photons as well as a difference in the refractive index. This proof-of-principle result gives the possibility of producing high energy photons with circular polarization by use of a crystal. This might open for several opportunities in high energy physics like for instance the investigation of the contribution of the gluons to the spin of the nucleon