The MOeLLER experiment at Jefferson Lab: search for physics beyond the Standard Model

Journal Article · Tue Jul 27 00:00:00 EDT 2010 · AIP Conference Proceedings

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3479340· OSTI ID:21410759

Oers, Willem T. H. van ^[1]

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1. TRIUMF, 4004 Wesbrook Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 2A3 (Canada) and Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2 (Canada)

The MOeLLER experiment at Jefferson Lab will measure the parity-violating analyzing power A{sub z} in the scattering of 11 GeV longitudinally polarized electrons from the atomic electrons in a liquid hydrogen target (Moeller scattering). In the Standard Model a non-zero A{sub z} is due to the interference of the electromagnetic amplitude and the weak neutral current amplitude, the latter mediated by the Z{sup 0} boson. A{sub z} is predicted to be 35.6 parts per billion (ppb) at the kinematics of the experiment. It is the objective of the experiment to measure A{sub z} to a precision of 0.73 ppb. This result would yield a measurement of the weak charge of the electron Q{sub W}{sup e} to a fractional error of 2.3% at an average value Q{sup 2} of 0.0056 (GeV/c){sup 2}. This in turn will yield a determination of the weak mixing angle sin{sup 2{theta}}w with an uncertainty of {+-}0.00026(stat) {+-}0.00013(syst), comparable to the accuracy of the two best determinations at high energy colliders (at the Z{sup 0} pole). Consequently, the result could potentially influence the central value of this fundamental electroweak parameter, which is of critical importance in deciphering any signal of new physics that might be observed at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). The measurement is sensitive to the interference of the electromagnetic amplitude with new neutral current amplitudes as weak as 10{sup -3} GF from as yet unknown high energy dynamics, a level of sensitivity unlikely to be matched in any experiment measuring a flavor and CP conserving process in the next decade. This provides indirect access to new physics at multi-TeV scales in a manner complementary to direct searches at the LHC.

• OSTI ID: 21410759
• Journal Information: AIP Conference Proceedings, Vol. 1261, Issue 1; Conference: Festschrift in honor of Tony Thomas 60. birthday: Achievements and new directions in subatomic physics, Adelaide (Australia), 15-19 Feb 2010; Other Information: DOI: 10.1063/1.3479340; (c) 2010 American Institute of Physics; ISSN 0094-243X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS
AMPLITUDES
ATOMIC PHYSICS
CEBAF ACCELERATOR
CERN LHC
FLAVOR MODEL
GEV RANGE 10-100
HIGGS BOSONS
INTERFERENCE
MOELLER SCATTERING
PARITY
POLARIZATION-ASYMMETRY RATIO
SENSITIVITY
STANDARD MODEL
TEMPERATURE RANGE 0065-0273 K
TEV RANGE 01-10
WEAK INTERACTIONS
WEAK NEUTRAL CURRENTS
WEINBERG ANGLE
ACCELERATORS
ALGEBRAIC CURRENTS
BASIC INTERACTIONS
BOSONS
COMPOSITE MODELS
CURRENTS
CYCLIC ACCELERATORS
DIMENSIONLESS NUMBERS
ELASTIC SCATTERING
ELEMENTARY PARTICLES
ENERGY RANGE
FIELD THEORIES
GEV RANGE
GRAND UNIFIED THEORY
INTERACTIONS
LINEAR ACCELERATORS
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
NEUTRAL CURRENTS
PARTICLE MODELS
PARTICLE PROPERTIES
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POSTULATED PARTICLES
QUANTUM FIELD THEORY
QUARK MODEL
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STORAGE RINGS
SYNCHROTRONS
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TEV RANGE
UNIFIED GAUGE MODELS