Unravelling the $^3$He Electromagnetic Form Factors

New global fits of the $^3$He elastic cross section world data will be presented along with extractions of both electric and magnetic form factors and charge densities. The updated $^3$He fits were motivated by new high $Q^2$ data. The resultant $^3$He first magnetic form factor minimum is found to have shifted up in $Q^2$ by several fm$^{-2}$. Further, large discrepancies exist between theory predictions of the magnetic form factor and those determined by elastic electron scattering. To address this discrepancy a new experiment has been proposed for Jefferson Lab's Hall C to measure the double-polarization asymmetry of $^3$He. This would be the first extraction of $^3$He form factors using polarization observables. The advantage of this double-polarization measurement is that, unlike traditional Rosenbluth methods, the extraction is sensitive to the signs of the form factors. As a result, the sign of the asymmetry flips at each form factor minima. Double-polarization experiments have found large disagreement, particularly at high $Q^2$, between proton form factors extracted via polarization observables and unpolarized Rosenbluth separations. This experiment will determine if such a disagreement exists for $^3$He, while also allowing for hypothesis testing of theoretical models.