Experimental Nuclear and Hadronic Physics Research Group

We conduct research in experimental nuclear and hadronic physics. Our core research program centers on five areas:

nucleon electromagnetic form factors and structure functions,
nucleon spin-structure, polarized target development at William & Mary,
studies of nucleon structure and neutron distributions in nuclei via parity violation,
precision searches for physics beyond the Standard Model via the electromagnetic and the weak interactions,
studies of the light quark meson spectrum and searches for exotic hybrid mesons.

Many of our experiments use the intense 12 GeV electron beam at Jefferson Lab in nearby Newport News. We are actively involved in the Qweak, G0, HAPPEx, HPS, PREx, PVDIS, SoLID, MOLLER, CLAS, and GlueX experiments, in the transversity and polarized 3He programs in Hall A, in the electromagnetic form factor and two-photon exchange programs in Halls A and C, in deep-inelastic scattering experiments with the SuperBigBite spectrometer in Hall A, and with CLAS in Hall B, and dark matter searches in Hall B. Members of our group are spokespersons on many of these experiments. Our faculty also actively collaborate on experiments in Mainz, Oak Ridge, TRIUMF, HIγS and on the development of a planned Electron-Ion Collider.

Our group consists of five full-time faculty members and several affiliated faculty members who are staff scientists at Jefferson Lab. The group is typically complemented with two or three postdoctoral fellows, ten graduate students, and several undergraduate students.

We are funded by the National Science Foundation, the Department of Energy, and the Jeffress Memorial Trust.

People

Full-time Faculty

David Armstrong (PhD, University of British Columbia, 1988), recent publications
Todd Averett (PhD, University of Virginia, 1995), recent publications
Keith Griffioen (PhD, Stanford University, 1984), recent publications
Justin Stevens (PhD, Indiana University, 2012), recent publications

Affiliate Faculty

Peter Bosted (Adjunct Professor)
Robert McKeown (Governor's Distinguished CEBAF Professor)

Emeritus Faculty

Charles Perdrisat (Doctorate ès Sciences, Federal Institute of Technology, Zurich, 1961), recent publications

Postdoctoral Researchers

Carlos Ayerbe-Gayoso (Averett and Griffioen)
Huan Yao (McKeown)

Graduate Students

Selected Publications

For a complete list of publications by our group, please refer to InspireHEP.

Recent Graduates

PhD (since 2010)

Melissa Cummings, Advisor: Todd Averett, "Investigating Proton Spin Structure: A Measurement of gp2 at Low Q2." (2016)
Juan Carlos Cornejo, Adviser: Wouter Deconinck, "Compton Scattering Polarimetry for the Determination of the Proton's Weak Charge Through Measurements of the Parity-Violating Asymmetry of ¹H(e,e')p." (2015)
Currently: Postdoctoral Research Associate, Carnegie Mellon University.
Joshua Magee, Advisor: David Armstrong, "A Measurement of the Parity-Violating Asymmetry in Aluminum and its Contribution to a Measurement of the Proton’s Weak Charge." (2016)
Currently: Postdoctoral Researcher, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.
Joshua Hoskins, Advisor: David Armstrong, "Determination of the Proton's Weak-Charge via Parity Violating e-p Scattering." (2015)
Currently: Postdoctoral Research Associate, University of Manitoba, Canada.
Eric Jensen, Advisor: Todd Averett, "A Search for a New Gauge Boson." (2014)
Currently: Software Field Engineer, IBA Particle Therapy, Hampton University.
Carissa Capuano, Advisor: David Armstrong, "Parity-Violating Asymmetry in the Nucleon to Δ Transition: A Study of Inelastic Electron Scattering in the G0 Experiment." (2012)
Currently: Adjunct Professor of Physics, Christopher Newport University.
Sucheta Shrikant Jawalkar, Advisor: Keith Griffioen, "Measurement of Single and Double Spin Asymmetries in p(e,e'π)X using Longitudinally Polarized ¹⁴NH₃." (2012)
Currently: Postdoctoral Research Associate, Duke University.
Kelly Anita Kluttz, Advisor: Todd Averett, "Detailed Study of the Interactions between a Hybrid Alkali Vapor and He-3 Gas." (2012)
Currently: Scientist, Stable Laser Systems, Boulder, Colorado.
John Poague Leckey, IV, Advisor: David Armstrong, "The First Direct Measurement of the Weak Charge of the Proton." (2012)
Currently: Postdoctoral Research Associate, Indiana University, Bloomington.
Joseph M. Katich, Advisor: Todd Averett, "Measurement of the Target-Normal Single-Spin Asymmetry in the Deep Inelastic Region from the Reaction ³He(e,e')." (2011)
Currently: Postdoctoral Research Scientist, University of Colorado.
Mehdi Meziane, Advisor: Charles Perdrisat, "A Search for Effects Beyond the Born Approximation in Polarization Transfer Observables in Elastic Scattering." (2011)
Currently: Postdoctoral Research Associate, Duke University.
Nathan K. Baillie, Advisor: Keith Griffioen, "Electron Scattering from an Almost Free Neutron in Deuterium." (2010)
Currently: Postdoctoral Research Scientist, Hampton University Proton Therapy Institute.
Aidan M. Kelleher, Advisor: Todd Averett, "A Measurement of the Neutron Electric Form Factor at Very Large Momentum Transfer Using Polarized Electrons Scattering from a Polarized Helium-3 Target." (2010)
Currently: Postdoctoral Associate, Laboratory for Nuclear Science, MIT.
Olivier Gayou, Adviser: Charles Perdrisat, "Proton form factors: measurement of the proton form factors ratio μ_p G_Ep/G_Mp to Q² = 5.6 GeV² by recoil polarimetry." (2002)

B.S. (since 2010)

Alice Perrin (2015): "3D Printing Scintillating Detectors for Field Emission Detection in Niobium SRF Cavities," with honors [PDF]
Oscar Deaver (2015): "Uniformity and Crosstalk in Multi-Anode Photomultiplier Tubes." [PDF]
Christopher Haufe (2015): "GEANT4 Simulation of Detector Properties in the MOLLER Experiment," with honors [PDF]
Marcus Starman (2015): "Effects of Hyperons on Pion Asymmetries Measured in the Qweak Experiment," with honors [PDF]
Jack Anderson (2014): "Simulations for the SoLID Detector." [PDF]
Rachel Taverner (2014): "Determination and Simulation of Kinematic Parameters in the Qweak Experiment," with honors [PDF]
Peyton Rose (2011): "Optimization of Drift Chamber Performance for the Qweak Experiment", with honors.
Ryan Zielinski (2010): "Testing and Analysis of Q-Weak's Multiplexing Electronics System".

Acknowledgements

This work was supported in part by the National Science Foundation under Grant Nos. PHY-1206053 and PHY-1405857. This work was supported in part by the Department Of Energy under Grant No. DE-FG02-96ER41003.