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U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Elementary particle physics: Experimental

Technical Report ·
OSTI ID:5015865

We are carrying out a research program in high energy experimental particle physics. Studies of high energy hadronic interactions and leptoproduction processes continue using several experimental techniques. Progress has been made on the study of multiparticle production processes in nuclei. Ultra-high energy cosmic ray nucleus-nucleus interactions have been investigated by the Japanese American Cosmic Emulsion Experiment (JACEE) using balloon-borne emulsion chamber detectors. In the area of particle astrophysics, our studies of cosmic ray nuclear interactions have enabled use to make the world's most accurate determination of the comparison of the cosmic rays above 10{sup 13}eV. We have only the detector that can observe interaction vertices and identify particles at energies up to 10**15 eV. Our observations are getting close to placing limits on the acceleration mechanisms postulated for pulsars in which the spin and magnetic moment axes are at different angles. In June, 1989 approval was given by NASA for our participation in the Space Station program. The SCINATT experiment will make use of emulsion chamber detectors, similar to the planned JACEE hybrid balloon flight detectors. These detector will permit precise determination of secondary particle charges, momenta and rapidities, and the accumulation of data will be at least a factor of 10 to 100 greater than in balloon experiments. Emulsion chamber techniques ate also employed in an experiment using accelerator heavy ion beams at CERN and Brookhaven National Laboratory to investigate particle production processes in central collisions of nuclei in the energy range 15 -- 200A GeV. Our study of hadroproduction in lepton interactions is continuing with approval of another 8 months run for deep inelastic muon scattering experiment E665 at Fermilab.

Research Organization:
Washington Univ., Seattle, WA (USA). Dept. of Physics
Sponsoring Organization:
DOE/ER
DOE Contract Number:
AS06-88ER40423
OSTI ID:
5015865
Report Number(s):
DOE/ER/40423-13; ON: DE90005973
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English