Elastic Electron Scattering from ³He and ³H Mirror Nuclei

The cross section for elastic electron-nucleus scattering from a spin-1/2 particle is described by two nuclear form factors, fundamental quantities that describe the electromagnetic structure of the nucleus. By going to low energy and forward angle, the effect of the magnetic form factor G_M(Q²) can be minimized, which allows for an extraction of the charge form factor G_E(Q²) without having to do a Rosenbluth type experiment.   The RMS radius of the nucleus is proportional to the slope, dG_E/dQ², as Q² →0, so by measuring the electric form factor of a target at very low Q², we can extrapolate and extract the nucleus radius. 

   The primary aim of my work is the extraction of the elastic cross section from data collected in Jefferson Lab Hall A experiment E12-11-112 which measured elastic scattering from the mirror nuclei ³He and ³H at low momentum transfer Q² ≈ 0.1 GeV². I will also determine the ratio of the ³He and ³H elastic data since it cancels many of systematic uncertainties that enter the absolute cross section extraction. These new results will be used to improve global fits that examine the difference between the ³H and ³He charge radii. In particular, these results will help fit the normalization of previous elastic tritium measurement and thus will dramatic improve the global fit.