A. Yegneswaran

Dielectron cross-section measurements in nucleus-nucleus reactions at 1-A/GeV

We present measured dielectron production cross sections for Ca+Ca, C+C, He+Ca, and d+Ca reactions at 1.0 A GeV . Statistical uncertainties and systematic effects are smaller than in previous dilepton spectrometer (DLS) nucleus-nucleus data. For pair mass M{le}0.35 GeV/c{sup 2} we obtain (1) the Ca+Ca cross section is larger than the previous DLS measurement and current model results, (2) the mass spectra suggest large contributions from {pi}{sup 0} and {eta} Dalitz decays, and (3) d{sigma}/dM{proportional_to}A{sub P}A{sub T}. For M{gt}0.5 GeV/c{sup 2} the Ca+Ca to C+C cross section ratio is significantly larger than the ratio of A{sub P}A{sub T} values. {copyright} {ital 1997} {ital The American Physical Society}

The CLAS drift chamber system

Abstract Experimental Hall B at Jefferson Laboratory houses the CEBAF Large Acceptance Spectrometer, the magnetic field of which is produced by a superconducting toroid. The six coils of this toroid divide the detector azimuthally into six sectors, each of which contains three large multi-layer drift chambers for tracking charged particles produced from a fixed target on the toroidal axis. Within the 18 drift chambers are a total of 35,148 individually instrumented hexagonal drift cells. The novel geometry of these chambers provides for good tracking resolution and efficiency, along with large acceptance. The design and construction challenges posed by these large-scale detectors are described, and detailed results are presented from in-beam measurements.

A drift chamber system for a toroidal detector

Abstract We present design details for drift chambers to be used in the CLAS detector at CEBAF. Novel features include nonparallel endplates fabricated from composite materials, a gas mixture which includes helium to reduce multiple scattering, low wire tension, and a hexagonal cell layout. Magnetic field strength in the active region ranges from 0 to 2 T, and wire length varies from 10 to 300 cm. We discuss specific construction details for the outer drift chambers.

Construction update and drift velocity calibration for the CLAS drift chamber system

Abstract We briefly describe the drift chamber system for the CLAS detector at CEBAF, concentrating on the method which will be used to calibrate the drift velocity function. We identify key features of the function which should apply to any small-cell drift chamber geometry in which the cathode and anode surfaces are wires. Using these ideas, we describe a simple method to compensate for variations in the drift velocity function due to environmental changes.

Low-mass dileptons in pA and AA collisions

Abstract The low-mass ( M + e − continuum has not yet been understood even though the large yield has been documented in a number of high-energy hadron-nucleon and hadron-nucleus experiments. In heavy-ion collisions, effects resulting from the presence of the excited nuclear medium are expected. An understanding of dilepton production at excitation energies in the few-GeV range will aid in the interpretation of dilepton production at ultra-relativistic energies, where it may be a probe of the quark-gluon plasma. The objective of the Dilepton Spectrometer (DLS) collaboration at the BEVALAC is to study the production of e + e − pairs in nucleon-nucleon, proton-nucleus and nucleus-nucleus collisions at bombarding kinetic energies between 1 and 5 A · GeV. The transverse momentum distributions, the mass dependence, and the excitation function of dilepton production give information about the production mechanisms.

Dilepton production from p-p to CaCa at the Bevalac

Abstract The DLS collaboration has recently completed a high statistics study of dilepton production at the Bevalac. In particular, we have measured dielectrons (e + e − ) from p - p and p - d collisions to understand the basic dilepton production mechanisms in the energy range from 1.05 – 4.9 GeV. These data can be used to determine the basic processes which contribute to nucleon-nucleon dilepton production such as hadronic bremsstrahlung, vector meson processes, and hadronic Dalitz decay. The data show that a simple elastic bremsstrahlung calculation is insufficient to explain the data. Theoretical models are compared with the data. A new high statistics study of Ca  Ca at 1.05 A·GeV has been made to study the collectivity of A - A collisions.