A Proposal to Investigate Parity Violating Electron Scattering and Hypernuclear Physics

*** 9870278 Johnston The research program of the Louisiana Tech University Particle Physics Group includes studies of parity violating electron scattering reactions, hypernuclear physics studies, electroweak interactions, and an educational outreach program designed to include undergraduate students from several disciplines, engineers, science teachers, and high school students in forefront physics research projects. In the TJNAF PAC approved G0 experiment, a series of electron proton elastic parity violating asymmetry measurements will be performed at both the backward and forward electron scattering angles, from which the nucleon strange electric and magnetic form factors can be determined separately. The Louisiana Tech Particle Physics Group will extend parity violation measurements beyond the elastic channel by including a measurement of the parity violating asymmetry in the N to Delta transition, TJNAF E97-104. Due to the pure isovector nature of this transition, the parity violating asymmetry for this resonance consists of contributions depending only on standard model parameters, known electromagnetic transition form factors, and the poorly known axial transition form factor. These measurements provide direct access to this form factor, and represent the first measurement of this quantity in the neutral current sector of the weak interaction. Building two sets of detectors is required for both the elastic and inelastic channel measurements. This proposal outlines the group's TJNAF based nuclear and particle physics program in detail, and the impact these activities have had at Louisiana Tech. The scope of the projects selected are consistent with the group's size and expertise, and have maximized all of the available facilities and funding thus far received. Funding of this proposal will allow the Particle Physics Group at Louisiana Tech to continue to make major contributions to physics research, and enhance the educational opportunities for undergraduate students and local high school students and teachers. ***