Engineering the Next Generation of Polarized Targets: Control, Monitoring, and Automation

The first demonstration of polarized scattering was achieved in 1962 by Anatole Abragam and colleagues, who measured the scattering of a 20 MeV polarized proton beam on a polarized proton target. The central idea of such experiments is to prepare a well-defined initial state by aligning particle spins with a strong magnetic field prior to scattering. Building on this legacy, the University of Virginia Spin Physics group is advancing the development of polarized target technology by integrating expertise from engineering, computer science, and physics. Our approach focuses on intelligent monitoring and control of polarized targets through the combined use of hard sensors (temperature, pressure, and magnetic field measurements) and soft sensors derived from physics observables. In particular, polarization and spin asymmetry measurements can be incorporated into real-time fault detection and diagnostic algorithms, enabling the system to identify and correct anomalies that would otherwise degrade experimental performance. Machine learning models are trained on this combined sensor data to optimize control parameters and enhance system reliability. These methods can be deployed and tested under experimental conditions at national accelerator facilities nationwide, demonstrating the feasibility of a fault-tolerant polarized target system. By leveraging both engineering tools and physics observables, we aim to improve stability, increase polarization scale and uptime, and ultimately enhance the overall figure of merit of polarized target scattering experiments. This presentation will provide an update on the UVA polarized target program and the development of the control and monitoring framework.