The parity-violating asymmetry arising from inelastic electron-nucleon scattering at backward angle (~95 degrees) near the Delta(1232) resonance has been measured using a hydrogen target. From this asymmetry, we extracted the axial transition form fa
ctor G^A_{NDelta}, a function of the axial Adler form factors C^A_i. Though G^A_{NDelta} has been previously studied using charged current reactions, this is the first measurement of the weak neutral current excitation of the Delta using a proton target. For Q^2 = 0.34 (GeV/c)^2 and W = 1.18 GeV, the asymmetry was measured to be -33.4 pm (5.3)_{stat} pm (5.1)_{sys} ppm. The value of G^A_{NDelta} determined from the hydrogen asymmetry was -0.05 pm (0.35)_{stat} pm (0.34)_{sys} pm (0.06)_{theory}. These findings agree within errors with theoretical predictions for both the total asymmetry and the form factor. In addition to the hydrogen measurement, the asymmetry was measured at the same kinematics using a deuterium target. The asymmetry for deuterium was determined to be -43.6 pm (14.6)_{stat} pm (6.2)_{sys} ppm.
The parity-violating (PV) asymmetry of inclusive $pi^-$ production in electron scattering from a liquid deuterium target was measured at backward angles. The measurement was conducted as a part of the G0 experiment, at a beam energy of 360 MeV. The p
hysics process dominating pion production for these kinematics is quasi-free photoproduction off the neutron via the $Delta^0$ resonance. In the context of heavy-baryon chiral perturbation theory (HB$chi$PT), this asymmetry is related to a low energy constant $d_Delta^-$ that characterizes the parity-violating $gamma$N$Delta$ coupling. Zhu et al. calculated $d_Delta^-$ in a model benchmarked by the large asymmetries seen in hyperon weak radiative decays, and predicted potentially large asymmetries for this process, ranging from $A_gamma^-=-5.2$ to $+5.2$ ppm. The measurement performed in this work leads to $A_gamma^-=-0.36pm 1.06pm 0.37pm 0.03$ ppm (where sources of statistical, systematic and theoretical uncertainties are included), which would disfavor enchancements considered by Zhu et al. proportional to $V_{ud}/V_{us}$. The measurement is part of a program of inelastic scattering measurements that were conducted by the G0 experiment, seeking to determine the $N-Delta$ axial transition form-factors using PV electron scattering.
We have measured the beam-normal single-spin asymmetries in elastic scattering of transversely polarized electrons from the proton, and performed the first measurement in quasi-elastic scattering on the deuteron, at backward angles (lab scattering an
gle of 108 degrees) for Q2 = 0.22 GeV^2/c^2 and 0.63 GeV^2/c^2 at beam energies of 362 MeV and 687 MeV, respectively. The asymmetry arises due to the imaginary part of the interference of the two-photon exchange amplitude with that of single photon exchange. Results for the proton are consistent with a model calculation which includes inelastic intermediate hadronic (piN) states. An estimate of the beam-normal single-spin asymmetry for the scattering from the neutron is made using a quasi-static deuterium approximation, and is also in agreement with theory.
In the G0 experiment, performed at Jefferson Lab, the parity-violating elastic scattering of electrons from protons and quasi-elastic scattering from deuterons is measured in order to determine the neutral weak currents of the nucleon. Asymmetries as
small as 1 part per million in the scattering of a polarized electron beam are determined using a dedicated apparatus. It consists of specialized beam-monitoring and control systems, a cryogenic hydrogen (or deuterium) target, and a superconducting, toroidal magnetic spectrometer equipped with plastic scintillation and aerogel Cerenkov detectors, as well as fast readout electronics for the measurement of individual events. The overall design and performance of this experimental system is discussed.
