Search for pre-existing Delta states at BLAST from ²H(e,e'[Delta]⁺⁺

Abstract

At the MIT-Bates Linear Accelerator Center a comprehensive study of low-Q2 spin-dependent electron scattering from deuterium has been carried out using the Bates Large Acceptance Spectrometer Toroid (BLAST). This experiment has employed an 850 MeV polarized electron beam from the MIT-Bates linear accelerator incident on an internal polarized deuterium target and the BLAST detector. Deuterium's simple composition is an important factor in understanding the structure of the inter-nucleon potential. The pion production region has a resonant structure and is a promising location to search for pre-existing delta particles in deuterium. While, theoretical calculations predict that delta resonant states account for anywhere from 0.25 to 3.60% of the nuclear wave function, more realistic predictions for deuterium range from 0.3 to 1.0%. This thesis presents the determination of the (e,e'++) event rate from deuterium, the first of many steps towards a complete study of delta resonant states.