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Article
Final analysis of proton form factor ratio data at Q(2)=4.0, 4.8, and 5.6 GeV2
Physical Review C
  • A. J. R. Puckett
  • E. J. Brash
  • M. K. Jones
  • O. Gayou, William & Mary
  • L. Pentchev, William & Mary
  • C. F. Perdrisat, William & Mary
  • Todd Averett, William & Mary
  • K. M. Kramer, William & Mary
Document Type
Article
Department/Program
Physics
Pub Date
1-1-2012
Abstract

Precise measurements of the proton electromagnetic form factor ratio R = mu(p)G(E)(p)/G(M)(p) using the polarization transfer method at Jefferson Lab have revolutionized the understanding of nucleon structure by revealing the strong decrease of R with momentum transfer Q(2) for Q(2) greater than or similar to 1 GeV2, in strong disagreement with previous extractions of R from cross-section measurements. In particular, the polarization transfer results have exposed the limits of applicability of the one-photon-exchange approximation and highlighted the role of quark orbital angular momentum in the nucleon structure. The GEp-II experiment in Jefferson Lab's Hall A measured R at four Q(2) values in the range 3.5 GeV2 < = Q(2) < = 5.6 GeV2. A possible discrepancy between the originally published GEp-II results and more recent measurements at higher Q(2) motivated a new analysis of the GEp-II data. This article presents the final results of the GEp-II experiment, including details of the new analysis, an expanded description of the apparatus, and an overview of theoretical progress since the original publication. The key result of the final analysis is a systematic increase in the results for R, improving the consistency of the polarization transfer data in the high-Q(2) region. This increase is the result of an improved selection of elastic events which largely removes the systematic effect of the inelastic contamination, underestimated by the original analysis.

DOI
10.1103/PhysRevC.85.045203
Citation Information
A. J. R. Puckett, E. J. Brash, M. K. Jones, O. Gayou, et al.. "Final analysis of proton form factor ratio data at Q(2)=4.0, 4.8, and 5.6 GeV2" Physical Review C Vol. 85 Iss. 4 (2012)
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/todd-averett/18/