RHIC spin physics
The physics potential of colliding beams of protons, polarized either longitudinally or transversely, at RHIC is remarkable. A luminosity of L = 2 {times} 10{sup 32} cm{sup {minus}2} with 70% polarized beams will be available with up to 250 GeV energy in each beam. The proposal to collide polarized protons in RHIC was submitted in August 1992 and approved in October 1993. We have funding for R&D on Siberian Snakes, so that RHIC will be able to accelerate polarized protons early in its program. The expected date of the first heavy ion collisions is 1999. The spin physics program includes measurement of gluon and sea quark polarization in the longitudinally polarized proton, measurement and then application of parity violation in W and Z production, measurement of hard scattering parton-parton asymmetries, and quark polarization or transversity in transversely polarized protons. Single spin asymmetries allow sensitive searches for parity violation (longitudinal polarization), and correlations between quark spin and gluons (transverse). Probes include direct photons (to P{sub T} = 20 GeV/c), jets (to P{sub T} > 50 GeV/c), Drell-Yan pairs to M{ell}{ell} = 9 GeV, W{sup {plus_minus}}, Z. This program is described in our Particle World paper. Here we will emphasize the new information included in our Update, given to the Brookhaven PAC this September.
- Research Organization:
- Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC02-76CH00016
- OSTI ID:
- 10174250
- Report Number(s):
- BNL-60427; ON: DE94016819; TRN: 94:015652
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: PBD: [1994]
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Polarized protons and RHIC
Polarized protons and RHIC. Based on a presentation to the Brookhaven PAC in August 1991