The Q-weak experiment at Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility (USA) will make a precision determination of the proton weak charge with approximately 4% combined statistical and systematic uncertainties via a measurement of the parity violating asymmetry in elastic electron-proton scattering at very low momentum transfer and forward angle. This will allow an extraction of the weak mixing angle at Q^2=0.026 (GeV/c)^2 to approximately 0.3%. The weak mixing angle is a fundamental parameter in the Standard Model of electroweak interactions. At the proposed accuracy, a measured deviation of this parameter from the predicted value would indicate new physics beyond what is currently described in the Standard Model. Without deviation from the predicted value, this measurement would place stringent limits on possible extensions to the Standard Model and constitute the most precise measurement of the proton's weak charge to date. The key experimental apparatus include a liquid hydrogen target, a toroidal magnetic spectrometer and a set of eight Cerenkov detectors. The Cerenkov detectors form the main detector system for the Q-weak experiment and are used to measure the parity violating asymmetry during the primary Q-weak production runs. The Cerenkov detectors form the main subject of this thesis. Following a brief introduction to the experiment, the design, development, construction, installation, and testing of this detector system will be discussed in detail. This is followed by a detailed discussion of detector diagnostic data analysis and the corresponding detector performance. The experiment has been successfully constructed and commissioned, and is currently taking data. The thesis will conclude with a discussion of the preliminary analysis of a small portion of the liquid hydrogen data.

The Q-weak experiment at Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility (USA) will make a precision determination of the proton weak charge with approximately 4% combined statistical and systematic uncertainties via a measurement of the parity violating asymmetry in elastic electron-proton scattering at very low momentum transfer and forward angle. This will allow an extraction of the weak mixing angle at Q^2=0.026 (GeV/c)^2 to approximately 0.3%. The weak mixing angle is a fundamental parameter in the Standard Model of electroweak interactions. At the proposed accuracy, a measured deviation of this parameter from the predicted value would indicate new physics beyond what is currently described in the Standard Model. Without deviation from the predicted value, this measurement would place stringent limits on possible extensions to the Standard Model and constitute the most precise measurement of the proton's weak charge to date. The key experimental apparatus include a liquid hydrogen target, a toroidal magnetic spectrometer and a set of eight Cerenkov detectors. The Cerenkov detectors form the main detector system for the Q-weak experiment and are used to measure the parity violating asymmetry during the primary Q-weak production runs. The Cerenkov detectors form the main subject of this thesis. Following a brief introduction to the experiment, the design, development, construction, installation, and testing of this detector system will be discussed in detail. This is followed by a detailed discussion of detector diagnostic data analysis and the corresponding detector performance. The experiment has been successfully constructed and commissioned, and is currently taking data. The thesis will conclude with a discussion of the preliminary analysis of a small portion of the liquid hydrogen data.

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / A física de partículas vem atualmente estudando tópicos como o plasma de quarks e glúons (QGP), o bóson de Higgs e a matéria escura, que requerem experimentos de colisões entre partículas cada vez mais energéticas. Para isso, são necessários aceleradores capazes de gerar partículas projéteis a cada vez mais altas energias, o que pode levar a uma nova física. Quando novos dados surgem nos laboratórios, novos processos são necessários para explicar estes dados e algumas vezes a estrutura interna das partículas envolvidas é desconhecida. Nos modelos teóricos, usados para descrever estes processos de espalhamento, é comum introduzir o fator de forma. O fator de forma é simplesmente uma maneira de simular a sub-estrutura das partículas envolvidas nestes processos com função da energia ou momento. A obtenção dos atores de forma pode ser feita usando o método conhecido como Regras de Soma da QCD (RSQCD). Neste trabalho, será estudado o vértice D*Dp usando as RSQCD, de modo que seja possível obter os seus fatores de forma e sua constante de acoplamento. Para isso, foram estudados os casos em que o méson ρ e o méson D estão fora de suas camadas de massa. O vértice D*Dp é muito importante para entender melhor o ρπ Puzzle, onde o méson Ј/ψ decai ρπ em com um branching ratio maior do que o esperado (este é um processo suprimido pela regra de OZI). Estudando este processo com graus de liberdade mesnicos, é possível escapar da regra de OZI, uma vez que o processo Ј/ψ→ DD → ρπ não é suprimido por OZI. Ao se fazer isso, aparecerá, entre outros, o vértice D*Dp . Este é um vértice que também aparece em outros decaimentos, como por exemplo X(3872) →Ј/ψp e B→Ј/ψD. Ao final do desenvolvimento, os resultados obtidos neste trabalho para o vértice D*Dp foram comparados com outros encontrados na literatura, se mostrando compatíveis com estes outros trabalhos. / The particle physics have been studying topics like the Quark-Gluon Plasma (QGP), Higgs boson and dark matter, which require experiments in heavy-ion collisions. Therefore, accelerators capable of generate high energy particle beams are necessary and may generate new physics. When new data arise in the laboratories, new processes are necessary to explain this data and sometimes, the internal structure of the involved particles is unknow or are virtual. In the theoretical models, used to describe this scattering processes, is common to introduce the form factors. The form factor is a way to simulate the sub-structure of the involved particles as function of energy or momentum. The form factor can be obtained using a method called QCD Sum Rules (QCDSR). In this work, the vertex D*Dp will be studied using the QCDSR, in order to obtain its form factors and coupling constant.The D*Dp vertex is very important to understand the ρπ Puzzle, where the Ј/ψ meson decays in ρπ with a branching ratio bigger than expected (this is a suppressed process by the OZI Rule). Studying this process with hadronic degrees of freedom, its possible to escape of the OZI rule, once the Ј/ψ→ DD → ρπ is not suppressed by the OZI rule. In this process, the D*Dp vertex is necessary. There are other processes where this vertex is necessary: X(3872)→Ј/ψp and B→Ј/ψD for example. In this work, was only possible to obtain results from the ρ off-shell diagram. This results were compared with others obtained in the literature.

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / A física de partículas vem atualmente estudando tópicos como o plasma de quarks e glúons (QGP), o bóson de Higgs e a matéria escura, que requerem experimentos de colisões entre partículas cada vez mais energéticas. Para isso, são necessários aceleradores capazes de gerar partículas projéteis a cada vez mais altas energias, o que pode levar a uma nova física. Quando novos dados surgem nos laboratórios, novos processos são necessários para explicar estes dados e algumas vezes a estrutura interna das partículas envolvidas é desconhecida. Nos modelos teóricos, usados para descrever estes processos de espalhamento, é comum introduzir o fator de forma. O fator de forma é simplesmente uma maneira de simular a sub-estrutura das partículas envolvidas nestes processos com função da energia ou momento. A obtenção dos atores de forma pode ser feita usando o método conhecido como Regras de Soma da QCD (RSQCD). Neste trabalho, será estudado o vértice D*Dp usando as RSQCD, de modo que seja possível obter os seus fatores de forma e sua constante de acoplamento. Para isso, foram estudados os casos em que o méson ρ e o méson D estão fora de suas camadas de massa. O vértice D*Dp é muito importante para entender melhor o ρπ Puzzle, onde o méson Ј/ψ decai ρπ em com um branching ratio maior do que o esperado (este é um processo suprimido pela regra de OZI). Estudando este processo com graus de liberdade mesnicos, é possível escapar da regra de OZI, uma vez que o processo Ј/ψ→ DD → ρπ não é suprimido por OZI. Ao se fazer isso, aparecerá, entre outros, o vértice D*Dp . Este é um vértice que também aparece em outros decaimentos, como por exemplo X(3872) →Ј/ψp e B→Ј/ψD. Ao final do desenvolvimento, os resultados obtidos neste trabalho para o vértice D*Dp foram comparados com outros encontrados na literatura, se mostrando compatíveis com estes outros trabalhos. / The particle physics have been studying topics like the Quark-Gluon Plasma (QGP), Higgs boson and dark matter, which require experiments in heavy-ion collisions. Therefore, accelerators capable of generate high energy particle beams are necessary and may generate new physics. When new data arise in the laboratories, new processes are necessary to explain this data and sometimes, the internal structure of the involved particles is unknow or are virtual. In the theoretical models, used to describe this scattering processes, is common to introduce the form factors. The form factor is a way to simulate the sub-structure of the involved particles as function of energy or momentum. The form factor can be obtained using a method called QCD Sum Rules (QCDSR). In this work, the vertex D*Dp will be studied using the QCDSR, in order to obtain its form factors and coupling constant.The D*Dp vertex is very important to understand the ρπ Puzzle, where the Ј/ψ meson decays in ρπ with a branching ratio bigger than expected (this is a suppressed process by the OZI Rule). Studying this process with hadronic degrees of freedom, its possible to escape of the OZI rule, once the Ј/ψ→ DD → ρπ is not suppressed by the OZI rule. In this process, the D*Dp vertex is necessary. There are other processes where this vertex is necessary: X(3872)→Ј/ψp and B→Ј/ψD for example. In this work, was only possible to obtain results from the ρ off-shell diagram. This results were compared with others obtained in the literature.

Este trabalho discute o efeito da escala na obtenção do fator de forma de embarcações e avalia a estimativa de resistência ao avanço e o padrão de ondas gerado pelo movimento relativo entre o fluido e o casco, através de análises computacionais. A estimativa adequada do fator de forma é importante para a determinação da resistência do casco na escala real, possibilitando o dimensionamento do sistema propulsivo, isto é, motor e hélice. Tradicionalmente o valor do fator de forma é obtido experimentalmente através de ensaios de reboque de modelos em escala reduzida. Observa-se na maioria dos laboratórios, que durante os testes o valor do fator de forma é adotado como constante, independentemente de Froude e Reynolds, conforme proposto de ITTC. É apresentada uma alternativa computacional para a determinação do fator de forma. Para tal, utiliza-se a metodologia double-model nas simulações relativas ao casco adotado, em que se obtém os coeficientes de resistência viscosa, enquanto que as linhas de correlação da ITTC\'57, Grigson e Schoenherr, além das simulações de arrasto de placas planas, calculam os coeficientes de resistência friccional. Da relação entre os coeficientes viscosos e friccionais encontra-se a tendência do fator de forma em função do número de Reynolds, considerando Froude constante. Os valores de resistência ao avanço obtidos nas simulações são comparados com os dados experimentais disponibilizados, assim como o padrão de ondas gerado, exemplificando como as ferramentas computacionais podem ser aplicadas de maneira vantajosa, uma vez que os resultados numéricos trazem boas correspondências com aqueles obtidos em tanques de provas e são obtidos mais rapidamente com menor custo. Também são apresentadas, brevemente, algumas descrições matemáticas que são utilizadas no método dos volumes finitos. / This work discusses the effect of scale in obtaining the form factor of ships and evaluates the estimated resistance and wave pattern generated by the relative motion between the fluid and the hull, through computational analyzes. A suitable estimate of the form factor is important for determining the resistance of the hull in full scale, enabling the sizing of the propulsion system, ie, engine and propeller. Traditionally the value of the form factor is obtained experimentally by towing tests of reduced scale models. It is observed in most laboratories that during testing the value of the form factor is assumed to be constant, regardless of Froude and Reynolds, as proposed by the ITTC. An alternative computation for determining the form factor is presented. For this purpose, the double-model method is used to simulate resistance tests of the adopted hull, in which the coefficients of viscous resistance are obtained. Meanwhile the coefficients of frictional resistance are calculated by the ITTC\'57, Grigson and Schoenherr correlation lines, and by the simulation of flat plates. The relationship between the viscous and frictional coefficients show the trend of the form factor as a function of Reynolds number, considering Froude constant. The resistance values obtained in the simulations are compared to experimental data available, as well as the pattern of waves, illustrating how computational tools can be applied advantageously, that is, provides similar results to those obtained in the laboratory, but quickly and at lower cost. Briefly are also presented some mathematical descriptions that are used in the finite volume method.

Le proton est décrit par les facteurs de forme électrique et magnétique qui caractérisent sa structure interne. Le moyen de mesurer les facteurs de forme consiste à mesurer la distribution angulaire de la diffusion élastique e-p: dans cette région dite espace q^2 est négatif. En utilisant la réaction croisée pbar p<--> e+ e-, on atteint une autre région cinématique appelée région temps où q^2>0. Cependant, à cause du seuil q^2_{th} de les réactions pbar p <--> e+e-, seul le domaine cinématique q^2>q^2_{th}>0 est autorisé. Pour atteindre la région non physique, on utilise la réaction pbar p --> pi0e+e- où le pi0 emporte une partie de l'énergie autorisant ainsi q^2 à varier entre q^2_{th} et presque 0. Cette thèse vise à démontrer la faisabilité de ces mesures avec le détecteur PANDA qui sera installé sur l'anneau d'antiprotons du futur complexe FAIR à Darmstadt. Pour décrire la réaction pbar p --> pi0e+e- une approche basée sur des lagrangiens est développée. La section efficace 5 fois différentielle est determinée et reliée à des combinaisons linéaires de tenseurs hadroniques. Sous l'hypothèse de l'échange d'un nucléon, les tenseurs hadroniques sont exprimés en fonctions des 2 facteurs de forme électromagnétiques complexes du proton. Une méthode est développée, qui donne accès au rapport des facteurs de forme électromagnétiques du proton R=|G_E|/|G_M| et pour la première fois avec une expérience non polarisée au cosinus de la différence de phase. A ce jour, de telles mesures n'ont jamais été faites dans la région non physique. Des simulations détaillées ont été effectuées pour montrer comment le rapport R et le cosinus peuvent être extraits de la distribution angulaire du positron. De plus, un modèle est développé pour la réaction parasite pbar p-->pi0pi+pi- considérée comme la plus dangereuse. La contribution du bruit de fond peut être réduite à quelques pour-cent voire moins. L'efficacité typique de détection du signal correspondante varie de l'ordre de 5 pour-cent à 30 pour-cent. La précision sur la détermination du rapport R et du cosinus est determinée pour le nombre de coups attendu via la méthode Monte Carlo. Une partie de cette thèse est aussi dédiée à un travail plus technique avec l'étude du prototype du calorimètre électromagnétique et la détermination de sa résolution. / The proton is described by the electric G_E and magnetic G_M form factors which characterise its internal structure. The way to measure the proton form factors consists in measuring the angular distribution of the e-p elastic scattering accessing the so-called Space-Like region where q^2<0. Using the crossed channel pbar p<-->e+e-, one accesses another kinematical region, the so-called Time-Like region where q^2>0. However, due to the pbar p<-->e+e- threshold q^2_{th}, only the kinematical domain q^2>q^2_{th}>0 is available. To access the unphysical region, one may use the pbar p --> pi0e+e- reaction where the pi0 takes away a part of the system energy allowing q^2 to be varied between q^2_{th} and almost 0. This thesis aims to show the feasibility of such measurements with the PANDA detector which will be installed on the antiproton ring at the FAIR facility at Darmstadt. To describe the pbar p --> pi0e+e- reaction, a Lagrangian based approach is developed. The 5-fold differential cross section is determined and related to linear combinations of hadronic tensors. Under the assumption of one nucleon exchange, the hadronic tensors are expressed in terms of the 2 complex proton electromagnetic form factors. An extraction method which provides an access to the proton electromagnetic form factor ratio R=|G_E|/|G_M| and for the first time in an unpolarized experiment to the cosine of the phase difference is developed. Such measurements have never been performed in the unphysical region. Extended simulations were performed to show how the ratio R and the cosine can be extracted from the positron angular distribution. Furthermore, a model is developed for the pbar p-->pi0pi+pi- background reaction considered as the most dangerous one. The background contribution can be reduced to the percent level or even less. The corresponding signal efficiency ranges from a few % to 30%. The precision on the determination of the ratio R and of the cosine is determined using the expected counting rates via Monte Carlo method. A part of this thesis is also dedicated to more technical work with the study of the prototype of the electromagnetic calorimeter and the determination of its resolution.

Title: Some aspects of low-energy QCD at the precision frontier Author: Tomáš Husek Department/Institute: Institute of Particle and Nuclear Physics Supervisor of the doctoral thesis: doc. RNDr. Karol Kampf, Ph.D. Abstract: This thesis concentrates on some low-energy aspects of QCD, namely on those which are connected to the electromagnetic decays of lightest neutral pseudoscalar mesons. Calculations of radiative corrections to neutral pion decays (the Dalitz decay and the rare decay) and a novel model for the pion electro- magnetic transition form factor are subjects discussed in the attached papers, which this work is based on. The associated theoretical aspects including Chiral Perturbation Theory or the large-Nc limit are introduced. We also discuss the complications which arise when the calculations of radiative corrections for η(′) Dalitz decays are performed. Some details about the collaboration with experi- ments which incorporate the calculation of the published corrections are provided. Last but not least, some techniques related to loop integrals are shown. Keywords: Chiral Perturbation Theory, large-Nc limit, radiative corrections, pion electromagnetic transition form factor 1

La structure des nucléons et des noyaux a été intensivement étudiée au cours duvingtième siècle au travers de la diffusion élastique d’électrons (mesure des facteurs deforme électromagnétique) et de la diffusion profondément inélastique (mesure des distributionsde partons). Le formalisme des distributions généralisées de partons (GPD)a permis d’unifier les facteurs de forme et les distributions de partons. Ce lien procureune source d’information unique sur la dynamique des partons, telle la distribution desforces nucléaires et de moment orbital au sein des hadrons. L’accès expérimental le plussimple aux GPD est la diffusion Compton profondément virtuelle (DVCS), correspondantà l’électroproduction dure d’un photon réel. Tandis que plusieurs expériences sesont déjà focalisées sur la réaction DVCS sur le nucléon, les expériences sur une ciblenucléaire s’avèrent plus rares. Cette thèse se concentre sur l’étude du canal DVCS cohérentsur l’hélium 4, avec pour objectif l’extraction des parties réelle et imaginaire dufacteur de forme Compton via l’asymétrie de spin du faisceau. / The structure of the nucleons and of the nuclei was actively studied during the twentiethcentury through electron elastic scattering (measuring the electromagnetic formfactors) and deep inelastic electron scattering (measuring the parton distributions). Theformalism of generalized parton distributions (GPD) achieved the unification of the formfactors and the parton distributions. This link gives a source of information about partondynamics, such as the distribution of nuclear forces and orbital momentum insidehadrons. The easiest experimental access to the GPD is the deeply virtual Comptonscattering (DVCS), which corresponds to the hard electroproduction of a real photon.While several experiments focussed on DVCS off the nucleon, only a few experimentsstudied DVCS off a nuclear target. This thesis is dealing with the study of the coherentchannel of DVCS off helium 4, with the aim to extract the real and imaginary parts ofthe Compton form factor thanks to the beam spin asymetry.

The emperical pseudopotential method in the large basis approach was used to calculate the electronic bandstructures of bulk semiconductor materials and layered semiconductor heterostructures. The crucial continuous atomic form factor potentials needed to carry out such calculations were determined by using Levenberg-Marquardt optimization in order to obtain optimal cubic spline interpolations of the potentials. The optimized potentials were not constrained by any particular functional form (such as a linear combination of Gaussians) and had better convergence properties for the optimization. It was demonstrated that the results obtained in this work could potentially lead to better agreement between calculated and empirically determined band gaps via optimization / Physics / M. Sc. (Physics)

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / Neste trabalho, foram calculados os fatores de forma e as constantes de acoplamento dos vértices mesônicos J/&#968; DsDs, J/&#968; Ds*Ds e J/&#968; Ds*Ds*usando a técnica das regras de soma da QCD (RSQCD) até a ordem 5 da OPE. Estes três vértices estão envolvidos em algumas das numerosas hipóteses que tentam explicar a estrutura interna de alguns mésons charmosos exóticos que começaram a ser observados a partir de 2003. Tais mésons não se encaixam no espectro do charmonium e/ou apresentam números quânticos exóticos dentro do modelo CQM (constituent quark model). Um exemplo é o méson Y(4140), cujo decaimento observado é no par J/&#968;&#966; enquanto o esperado seria que tivesse decaimento predominante em mésons com open charm, devido à sua massa. Uma das propostas para se entender este méson consiste em estudá-lo como um estado molecular Ds*ar{D}s*, de modo que seu decaimento seria Y(4140) &#8594; Ds* ar{D}s* &#8594; J/&#968;&#966;. Neste processo, aparecerão os vértices de interação estudados neste trabalho, de maneira que o conhecimento mais preciso de seus fatores de forma e de suas constantes de acoplamento pode beneficiar a compreensão sobre a constituição fundamental do Y(4140) assim como a de outros novos estados como o X(4350), Y(4274) e Y(4660) por exemplo. Foram considerados neste trabalho, todos os casos off-shell possíveis para cada um dos três vértices, obtendo assim dois fatores de forma distintos para o vértice J/&#968; DsDs, três para o vértice J/&#968; Ds*Ds e dois para o vértice J/&#968; Ds* Ds*. Nestes três vértices, os fatores de forma para o caso J/&#968; off-shell foram bem ajustados por curvas monopolares enquanto os casos Ds e Ds* foram ajustados por curvas exponenciais, o que está de acordo com o comportamento encontrado em trabalhos anteriores do grupo. Os cálculos das constantes de acoplamento tiveram como resultados: g_{J/&#968; Ds Ds} = 5.98^{+0.67}_{ -0.58}, g_{J/&#968; D*s Ds} = 4.30_{+0.41}^{-0.35}GeV^{-1} e g_{J/&#968; Ds* Ds*} = 7.47^{+1.04}_{-0.71}, resultados estes que estão compatíveis com os trabalhos anteriores que utilizaram as RSQCD para o cálculo das constantes de acoplamento dos vértices J/&#968; D(*)D(*). / In this work, the form factors and coupling constants of the meson vertices J/&#968; DsDs, J/&#968; Ds*Ds and J/&#968; Ds*Ds* have been calculated with the QCD sum rule (QCDSR) technique up to dimension 5 of the operator product expansion (OPE). These three vertices are involved in some of the numerous hypotheses that attempt to explain the internal structure of some exotic charmed mesons which began to be observed since 2003. Such mesons do not fit in the charmonium spectrum and/or have exotic quantum numbers within the CQM (constituent quark model). An example is the Y(4140) meson, which decays in the pair J/&#968;&#966; while the expected would be a dominant decay in open charm mesons. One of the proposals to understand this meson is to study it as a molecular state Ds*{D}s*, so it would decay as Y(4140)&#8594; Ds* {D}s* &#8594; J/&#968;&#966;.In this process, the vertices studied in this work will appear, so the more accurate knowledge of their form factors and their coupling constants can benefit our understanding of the fundamental constitution of the Y(4140) as well as other new states as the X(4350), Y(4274) and Y (4660) eg. In this study all possible off-shell cases for each of these three vertices were considered, thus obtaining two different form factors for the vertex J/&#968; DsDs, three for the vertex J/&#968; Ds*Ds and two for the vertex J/&#968; Ds* Ds*. In these three vertices, the form factors for the J/&#968; off-shell case were well fitted by monopolar curves, while the Ds and Ds* off-shell cases were well fitted by exponential curves which is in agreement with the behavior found in previous work of the group. The calculations of the coupling constants leaded to the following results: g_{J/&#968; Ds Ds} = 5.98^{+0.67}_{-0.58}, g_{J/&#968; Ds* Ds} = 4.30^{+0.41}_{-0.35}GeV^{-1} and g_{J/&#968; Ds* Ds*} = 7.47^{+1.04}_{-0.71}, these results are compatible with previous QCDSR works for the non strange vertices J/&#968;D(*)D(*).