Thursday, September 25, 2025

4:00 pm-5:00 pm

Revealing the Structure of Matter with Polarized Electron-Proton Scattering

Abstract: More than 98% of the mass in the visible universe is in nucleons (protons and neutrons), but the internal structure of these essential particles has proven to be unbelievably complex. In particular, the spin dynamics of the proton are the subject of a number of mysteries: How does the nucleon derive its spin from the smaller particles inside of it? How big is the proton? How does the proton's internal structure contribute to the structure of atoms through its interactions with other nucleons and with electrons? In this talk, I will discuss my work on answering these questions by using collisions between spin-polarized electrons and spin-polarized protons. This work is performed at Thomas Jefferson National Lab in Virginia, and also through an ongoing effort to construct a spin-polarized Electron-Ion Collider (EIC) in New York. Towards the construction of the EIC, I will also discuss my efforts to initialize a program of research and development here at NMSU, which will contribute to the hardware and software of the EIC through the construction of particle detectors and the design and optimization of machine-learning methods used to reconstruct the momentum of scattered particles