PHD, Kent State University, 2020, College of Arts and Sciences / Department of Physics

The MARATHON (MeAsurement of the F2n/F2p, d/u RAtios and A=3 EMC Effect in Deep Inelastic Scattering Off the Tritium and Helium MirrOr Nuclei) experiment ran in the Hall A Facility of the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility (JLab). The experiment used a 10.59 GeV electron beam from the Continuous Electron Beam Accelerator Facility (CEBAF) of JLab to measure the ratio of the F2 structure functions of Helium-3 and Deuterium. Data were taken in the kinematic range of 0.195 ≤ x ≤ 0.825, 2.5 (GeV/c)2 ≤ Q2 ≤ 13 (GeV/c)2, and 3.5 (GeV/c2)2 ≤ W2 ≤ 13 (GeV/c2)2. This is the first measurement of the 3He EMC effect that is purely in the Deep Inelastic Scattering region. The results of this experiment constitute an important, complimentary addition, to the limited data presently available for the EMC effect of light nuclei. The MARATHON results are compared to the world data for light, medium, and heavy nuclei. This measurement is considered an essential component to uncovering the nature of the EMC effect.

Committee: A. Mina T. Katramatou (Advisor); Gerassimos G. Petratos (Advisor); Benjamin Fregoso (Committee Member); Douglas Higinbotham (Committee Member); Syridon Margetis (Committee Member); Tsung-Heng Tsai (Committee Member); Edgar Kooijman (Other) Subjects: Nuclear Physics; Physics

Master of Science (MS), Ohio University, 2001, Physics (Arts and Sciences)

We study data acquired at the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility to obtain cross sections for the reaction: e+p→e′+K0∗(892)+Σ+(1189), measuring cross sections at a beam energy of 4.2 GeV of a few hunderd nb, depending on the available energy in the reaction. A second measurement is made, strictly as a consistency check, which about half as much data taken at a beam energy of 4.4 GeV. The particles detected in the final state include the scattered electron, and the K0∗ decay products, K+ and π−. Our statistical error is on the order of 15%. This represents the first-ever measurement of this final state with an electron beam. These data are expected to be an important test of theoretical models of the process.

Committee: Kenneth Hicks (Advisor) Subjects: Physics, Nuclear