| The Qweak experiment at Jefferson Lab aims to achieve a 4% measurement of the proton's weak charge by measuring the parity-violating asymmetry in elastic electron-proton scattering at low momentum-transfer squared, Q2= 0.025 (GeV/c)2. The measurement utilized Jefferson Lab's high-quality beam of 89% longitudinally polarized electrons at currents up to 180 muA. A measurement of this parity-violating asymmetry will result in a precise 0.3% measurement of sin2 thetaW. The Standard Model makes a firm prediction of this quantity, making the high-precision Qweak measurement sensitive to new physics at the TeV scale. The Qweak apparatus was also used to measure the transverse asymmetry of electron-carbon scattering. This quantity is an observable of the imaginary component of the two-photon exchange process. My contributions to these two projects included data taking, analysis work, quantifying background contributions, and GEANT4 simulations of the apparatus. As an additional part of my graduate training, I was part of the team that updated the CEBAF Injector MeV Mott Polarimeter. |
