COSM-HBCU Network

Mahbub KhandakerNorfolk State University

Norfolk State University Example

COSM-Norfolk State University PartnershipMotivation:

“To enhance minority education and research in nuclear and particle physics” .

Profile of NSU:• Established in 1935.• Fifth largest HBCU in the nation.• Enrollment of more than 7000 students.• Particularly “dedicated to education in the sciences”.• Ranks 10th nationally among all institution types in the number of B.S. degrees in the physical sciences awarded to African Americans.

COSM-Norfolk State University PartnershipProfile of NSU (contd.):

• Successful program in the physical and life sciences: Dozoretz National Institute for Minorities in the Applied Sciences (DNIMAS), estd. at NSU in 1986.• DNIMAS, a mentorship program, has attracted some

very talented African American students to the sciences.• Currently, over 120 students in the physical and life sciences supported by the DNIMAS program.

• More than 50% of the students continue on to graduate schools after completion at NSU.

Nuclear & Particle Physics (NPP) Group at NSUPersonnel:

• Three full-time faculty members.• Two research associates.• Three undergraduate students.

Research Program:• Precision measurement of neutral pion lifetime – PrimEx.• Precision measurements of spin structure of the nucleon.• Electromagnetic form factors of the nucleon.• Meson spectroscopy in few-body decays.• GDH sum rule and helicity structure of pion photoproduction.• Development of ultra-compact high density calorimeters for

high-energy experiments.

NSU Students in NPP Research

(1994 - 2004) Minority Men

Minority Women

Majority Student

Students 20 11 3Graduated 17 8 2Still in School 3 3 1Went for M.S. 7 4 1Went for Ph.D. 2 1 1

COSM-NSU Partnership Sub-award

Partnership started in 2002:• Support for one research associate (half-time); NSU’s School of Science & Technology contribution - one-quarter.• Support for two undergraduate students during the

academic year and the summer periods.• Support for some electronics and detector hardware. Scope of research work:• Detector development for photon flux normalization and luminosity control for the PrimEx experiment – Total Absorption Shower Detector.• Hardware development support for the PrimEx Hybrid calorimeter – HYCAL.

“A COSM-HBCU Partnership to Enhance Minority Education and Research in Nuclear and Particle Physics”

Current Participating HBCU InstitutionsHBCU Connections:

• Total of 12 Institutions.

PrimEx Institutions:• North Carolina A&T State University (NC A&T)• Norfolk State University (NSU)• Southern University of New Orleans (SUNO)

PrimEx Students:

1 4NC A&T / undergraduate 2NSU / undergraduate

1 1 2NC A&T / graduate

Majority Student

Minority Women

Minority Men

Institution / Level

PrimEx Postdoc:• One full-time postdoc supported by COSM-NSU partnership and MIT.

PrimEx Students – Summer, 2003

Future COSM-NSU Partnership Initiative

JLAB Expt. E-03-109:“Spin Asymmetries on the Nucleon Experiment – SANE”

SANE Expt.:• Measure proton spin structure function (SSF) g2(x,Q2) and spin asymmetries A1(x,Q2) at 2.5 ≤ Q2 ≤ 6.5 GeV2 and Bjorken x (0.3 ≤ x ≤ 0.8).

Physics Goals:• Study x and Q2 dependence of SSF’s in poorly measured region.• Twist-3 effects from moments of g2 and g1.

• Comparison of Lattice QCD predictions of twist-3 matrix elements.• Exploration of “high x” region: A1 approach to x =1.• Test polarized local duality for final state mass W > 1.4 GeV.

SANE Schematic LayoutSANE Method:

• Measure inclusive spin asymmetries for two orientations of target spin relative to beam helicity.• Detect electrons with large solid angle electron telescope “BETA”.

Big Electron Telescope Array - BETABETA Detector:

• BigCal lead glass calorimeter – main detector.• Gas Cherenkov (N2) – additional pion rejection.• Tracking hodoscope - solid Cherenkov for tracking.

NSU Personnel in SANE

• One full-time faculty member.• One full-time research associate supported by:

- COSM-NSU partnership (1/2)- NSU School of Science and Technology (1/4)- Jefferson Lab Hall C (1/4)

• One NSU undergraduate student.