Speaker
Description
The Timepix4-based Low-Q2 tracking detector will extend the kinematic reach of the ePIC detector towards effectively zero photon virtuality, enabling a broad programme of quasi-real photoproduction measurements at the Electron-Ion Collider. By precisely measuring the trajectory of the scattered electron, the detector will tag events involving the exchange of quasi-real photons, providing access to a rich landscape of physics channels in hadron spectroscopy, exclusive reactions, and nucleon structure studies.
This contribution presents the design, construction, and integration status of the Low-Q2 tagger, with a focus on the Timepix4 tracking system and its expected performance. We discuss the detector’s role within the ePIC experiment and highlight its potential to unlock a diverse range of low-Q2 physics opportunities, including exclusive vector meson production, timelike Compton scattering, and searches for exotic hadronic states. An outlook on the anticipated physics programme and future developments is also presented.