2026 EIC User Group Early Career Workshop

Jul 11, 2026, 8:00 AM → Jul 12, 2026, 9:00 PM Europe/London

Room 743 (James McCune Smith Learning Hub)

Jennifer Rittenhouse West, Wenliang (Bill) Li (Mississippi State University), Douglas Higinbotham (Jefferson Lab), Derek Anderson (Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility), Gary Penman (University of Glasgow), Akshaya Vijay

The 2026 EIC Early Career (EC) Workshop will take place from July 11-12, 2026, at the University of Glasgow.

This workshop aims to connect students, postdocs, and other early career researchers (ECRs) working on all aspects of the EIC including experimental physics, theory, data science, and beyond! This year’s program will include:

• An EIC software tutorial,
• Guest talks from senior researchers working in nuclear/hadronic physics,

• Contributed talks from ECRs,

• ECR Poster Competition,

• And a dedicated ECR town hall.

While the focus is on ECRs, the meeting is open to everyone. The meeting will be run in a hybrid mode, both in-person and remotely on Zoom. Connection details will be provided closer to the workshop.

Important Registration Information:

All ECRs attending are strongly encouraged to present their work in a short talk to their peers! To secure a timeslot, please submit an abstract when registering. The talks should aim for roughly 15 minutes in length with 5 minutes for discussion. And – carrying on the tradition from last year – talks should include 1 – 2 opening slides at a TED-talk level, which explain what you’re working on to a general audience and how it fits into the bigger EIC/physics picture.

An ECR Poster Competition will also be held during the workshop, and all ECRs attending are encouraged to submit a poster — even if they’re already giving a talk (that’s totally fine and very much encouraged)! Posters can showcase full EIC/ePIC physics results, hardware/software work, or take a more outreach-style approach that explains your work in a fun, accessible way and how it connects to the bigger EIC picture. The session is meant to be informal and interactive, with plenty of time for discussion across topics and career stages.

No payment is needed to complete the registration. There is a limited number of free rooms reserved at the Kelvinhaugh Gate Student Accommodation for ECRs. If you would like to request one, please register by June 5th, 2026!

Additional information on travel and accommodations can be found on the EICUG Main Event Page:

https://indico.bnl.gov/event/31808/page/731-travel-and-information 

To participate in the EICUG main event, please complete a separate registration at

https://indico.bnl.gov/event/31808/overview  

                     

ECR_EICUG_Poster2026.pdf

Sat, July 11

Registration: Registration & Coffee

Session 1: Invited Talks

1 Welcome and Logistics

Speakers: Akshaya Vijay (University Of Manitoba), Derek Anderson (Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility), Dr Douglas Higinbotham (Jefferson Lab), Gary Penman (University of Glasgow), Jennifer Rittenhouse West (UC Berkeley), Wenliang Bill Li (Assistant204 Old BSU Annex204 Old BSU Annex Professor)

ECR_Welcome_Logistics (1).pdf

2 From RHIC to the EIC

Speaker: Lijuan Ruan (Brookhaven National Laboratory)

EICUGECR_Ruan.pdf

10:30 AM Coffee Break

Session 2: Invited Talks

3 An (Incomplete) Overview of Science Policy in the U.S.

Speaker: Dr Tarini Konchady

2026 EIC User Group Meeting Policy Talk.pdf

4 VIRTUE Demo

Sean will guide us through a hands-on demo of VIRTUE, a Virtual-Reality Experience for the EIC!

Speaker: Sean Preins (University of California Riverside)

VIRTUE_User_Guide_V3_0_0.pdf

12:30 PM Lunch Break

Session 3: Contributed Talks (Detector & Hardware)

AfternoonLogistics.EICUGECRWS2026.pdf

5 (LECR) ePIC Low-Q2 Tagger

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.

Speaker: Gary Penman (University of Glasgow)

EICUG_ECR_11_07_26.pdf

6 (EECR) Beam Test of a SiPM-on-Tile ZDC Prototype with 5.3 GeV Positrons at Jefferson Laboratory

We report on a beam test of a Silicon Photo-Multiplier (SiPM)-on-tile Zero Degree Calorimeter (ZDC) prototype developed for the future Electron–Ion Collider (EIC). The detector implements the staggered scintillator-tile geometry envisioned for the final detector and includes 370 instrumented channels, corresponding to O(10%) of the full ZDC. The detector was tested using a 5.3 GeV positron beam at Jefferson Laboratory. We measure the energy response, shower shape, and spatial reconstruction performance of the detector and compare these results with simulation. These studies provide key input for the optimization of the final ePIC ZDC design.

Speaker: Sean Preins (University of California Riverside)

Sean_Preins_EICUG_2026.pdf

Sean_Preins_EICUG_2026.pptx

7 (EECR) Preamplifier circuit for Direct Photon Detector for luminosity measurement

In order to determine the luminosity achieved at EIC, multiple luminosity detectors are planned to be installed in the Far-Backward area, along the outgoing electron beam.
One of these detectors is the Direct Photon Detector intended for the detection of bremsstrahlung photons. The planned high nominal luminosity of the accelerator places high demand on the speed of the detector and its individual parts, such as the SiPMs and their preamplifier circuit.
This presentation showcases the work done on testing the properties of the preamplifier circuit for the onsemi C-Series 30035 SiPMs, its timing characteristics and the resulting achieved amplification of the signal.

Speaker: Jana Demjancukova (FNSPE CTU in Prague)

Demjancukova_ECR_2026.pdf

8 (EECR) Electrical characteristic for SiPM for direct method for luminosity measurement

Collider luminosity is an important quantity used for normalization of all measured physics observables. Its determination is done exployting bremsstrahlung (BS) photons. The BS photons generate a signal in an electromagnetic calorimeter consisting of Cherenkov photons, which are read by Silicon Photomultipliers (SiPMs).
This presentation is focused on direct method of luminosity measurement at the EIC. The work consists of experimental determination of the basic working characteristics of the SiPM sensors (capacitance, leakage current, resistance, breakdown voltage) measured with a RLC meter. Furthermore, the work includes basic electrical simulations of SiPM output in LTspice.

Speaker: Lada Radmacherova (Czech Technical University in Prague)

Electrical characteristics for SiPM for direct method for luminosity measurement.pptx

9 (LECR) Recent Developments of the AstroPix Imaging Layers for the ePIC Barrel Imaging Calorimeter

The Electron-Ion Collider (EIC) is a next-generation facility designed to address fundamental open questions in nuclear physics, including the origin of nucleon mass, the spin structure of the nucleon, and the emergent properties of dense gluonic matter.
The Barrel Imaging Calorimeter (BIC) is the electromagnetic calorimeter of the ePIC detector, designed to meet the stringent performance requirements of the EIC by providing precise energy measurements and particle identification for scattered electrons, photons, and neutral mesons.
The BIC is a high-granularity sampling calorimeter consisting of lead absorbers interleaved with scintillating fibers, complemented by pixelated imaging layers based on the AstroPix monolithic active pixel sensor. This hybrid design enables precise energy and position measurements, as well as three-dimensional shower reconstruction, making it a key detector for realizing the full physics potential of the EIC.
The BIC successfully completed its Preliminary Design Review in 2025 and is currently progressing toward the Final Design Review. This presentation will provide an overview of the BIC design and highlight recent developments of the AstroPix imaging layers, including detector characterization, beam-test performance, and ongoing system integration studies.

Speaker: Bobae Kim (Argonne National Laboratory)

2026eicug_bic_bobae.pdf

3:10 PM Coffee Break

Session 4: Contributed Talks (Analysis, Theory/Pheno, and Beyond)

10 (LECR) Kaons Kaons, I Like Kaons

Leveraging strangeness production is one of the methods by which we can peer deeper into the field of Baryon Spectroscopy; much of the existing data in resonance production comes from N$\pi$ scattering, which limits sensitivity to states containing strangeness. In this talk, I will give a personal whistle-stop tour of how Kaons can aid baryon spectroscopy searches, from CLAS6 photoproduction at Jefferson Lab, to the upcoming KLong Facility, then looking ahead to what the EIC might be able to contribute.

Speaker: Stuart Fegan (University of York)

KaonsKaonsILikeKaons.pdf

11 (EECR) A General Partial Wave Amplitude Formalism for Meson Electroprocution at the EIC

In the search for exotic mesons, many exotic candidates have been found. In particular, the LHC has identified a plethora of exotic candidates, however, the QCD makeup of these states is still ambiguous. This work is the first step in distinguishing the structure of these exotic resonances through leptoproduction. Within this work, the moments of angular distribution analysis framework has been extended from photoproduction to leptoproduction, extending the analysis of exotica already being performed at GlueX. In particular, this formalism has been developed for analyses at the future EIC, taking into account the possibility of polarized proton beams and analysed recoils offered by the future collider. Preliminary results show, for the first time, an extraction of the amplitudes for vector meson production from unpolarised nucleon electro- and muo-production, with the ratio of longitudinal and transverse cross-sections R being implicitly calculated.

Speaker: Dillon Leahy (University of Glasgow)

Electroprod_EIC_Jul_2026.pdf

12 (EECR) High energy QCD: Evolution equations and particle production

In this talk, we review the physics of high parton densities at small values of Bjorken $x$ leading to the phenomenon of parton saturation. Consider deep inelastic scattering (DIS) as our process, we derive the main equations governing the elastic and diffractive high energy scattering on a large nucleus, resumming all multiple rescatterings in the leading logarithmic approximation. Next, we discuss the multi-particle production processes at small-$x$. We derive the linear but with complicated kernel and non-homogeneous evolution equations for the cross sections of productions of $n$-cut Balitsky-Fadin-Kuraev-Lipatov (BFKL) Pomerons in the final states of high energy DIS, and find the analytical solutions to these equations (i) using the homotopy approach and (ii) in the high energy and large $n$ limits. Having these cross sections, we calculate the multiplicity distribution and the entanglement entropy for the produced gluons. Finally, we also discuss how the saturation physics can be tested at the future Electron-Ion Collider (EIC).

Speaker: Mr José Garrido (Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María)

EICUG-ECRWSJoseG2026.key

EICUG-ECRWSJoseG2026.pdf

13 (EECR) Model-independent determination of proton structure functions at the Electron-Ion Collider

We investigate the feasibility of a model-independent extraction of the proton structure functions $F_{2}$, $F_{L}$, and $xF_{3}$ at the future Electron-Ion Collider (EIC). The extraction of $xF_{3}$ typically relies on combining electron and positron scattering data to isolate its parity-violating contribution; however, positron beams are not currently foreseen at the EIC. The methodology we present may therefore provide the only viable approach to determine all three structure functions in this environment. The method relies on measurements of the reduced cross section at multiple beam energy configurations, corresponding to different center-of-mass energies. We study the impact of datasets composed of various combinations of beam configurations that are expected to be achievable at the EIC. Using five nominal beam-energy configurations, we demonstrate that a simultaneous extraction of all three structure functions is possible, with the precision significantly improved by the inclusion of additional configurations. The contribution of $xF_{3}$ becomes significant at $Q^{2} \sim 100$ GeV$^{2}$ and high Bjorken-$x$. Assuming $xF_{3} = 0$ in this kinematic regime results in a possible measurable bias in the extracted $F_{L}$, reflecting the intertwined dependence of the reduced cross section on these structure functions. These findings emphasize the importance of multi-energy datasets and of including $xF_{3}$ in the extraction of the proton structure functions.

Speaker: Javier Jiménez-López (Vrije Universiteit Brussel)

ECR_Javier_2026_Glasgow.pdf

14 (EECR) The Carbon Footprint of the Electron-Ion Collider

The Electron-Ion Collider (EIC) will be the first collider built in the 21st century — an era where climate change cannot be ignored. Throughout its construction, operation, and scientific lifestyle, the EIC will contribute significant carbon emissions to the atmosphere. These emissions do not outweigh the importance of the science that will be done by the collaboration, but it is crucial to limit them as much as possible. We introduce a comprehensive assessment of the EIC’s emission factors, including the materials and performance of the accelerator complex itself, as well as the computation and travel required by the EIC’s scientific community. The framework for the survey and preliminary emission estimates will be presented, with special emphasis placed on the largest emission sources. Identifying these hotspots, especially early in the EIC’s lifespan, allows us to suggest better sustainability practices for the facility and advocate for more environmentally conscious choices for the broader physics community.

Speaker: Ada Collins (University of Manitoba)

collins_ECR_eicCarbonFootprint.pdf

Sun, July 12

Session 1: Contributed Talks (Analysis) and Posters

15 (EECR) Exclusive Production of Tau Lepton Pairs in Electron-Proton Collisions at the Electron-Ion Collider

The exclusive production of tau lepton pairs $\tau^{+}\tau^{-}$ in electron-proton ($ep$) collisions offers a unique laboratory to test lepton flavor universality and search for physics beyond the Standard Model, such as anomalous magnetic moments ($g - 2$) and weak dipole moments of the tau. However, measuring exclusive tau pairs at the EIC presents severe experimental challenges due to the missing energy from neutrinos and the complex topology of tau decays.
This presentation details a feasibility study of the exclusive $ep \rightarrow e^{'}p^{'}\tau^{+}\tau^{-}$ process, focusing on three specific signature decay channels $\tau \rightarrow \mu\nu\bar{\nu}$ combined with $\tau \rightarrow \pi\nu$ or $\tau \rightarrow \pi\pi^{0}\nu$. We evaluate the reconstruction efficiencies, invariant mass resolutions for these distinct topologies. By exploiting the kinematic correlations between the decay products and leveraging advanced missing transverse energy techniques, we establish the expected experimental sensitivities for tau pair production at the EIC.

Speaker: Karol Ożóg (AGH University of Krakow)

Exclusive_Production_of_Tau_Lepton_Pairs.pdf

16 (EECR) Exclusive Production of Electron and Muon Pairs in Electron-Proton Collisions at the Electron-Ion Collider

We present a comprehensive study on the exclusive production of electron $e^{+}e^{-}$ and $\mu^{+}\mu^{-}$ pairs in electron-proton ($ep$) collisions at the EIC. Exclusive dilepton production via photon-photon fusion serves as a pristine channel to probe the underlying production mechanisms, test quantum electrodynamics (QED) in high-energy regimes, and perform unique measurements of the proton electromagnetic form-factors. Using a Monte Carlo event generator Grape integrated with the ePIC detector simulation framework, we obtain the cross-sections, kinematic distributions, and acceptance thresholds for both channels.
A critical component of this work focuses on the development and optimization of Particle Identification (PID) strategies tailored for light leptons. Disentangling electrons and muons from the high-flux hadron background (particularly pions) is paramount to preserving the purity of these exclusive signals. We discuss the performance of the EIC tracking and calorimetry systems in achieving high-efficiency lepton separation.

Speaker: Mr Kacper Kopeć (AGH University of Krakow)

Exclusive_Production_of_Electron_and_Muon_Pairs_at_the_EIC.pdf

17 (LECR) Drell-Yan at the EIC

The photon is arguably the most universally important particle across all fields of physics. Despite its status as a fundamental particle, at high energies the photon can be seen as a hadronic source of partons. The partonic content of the photon is very poorly constrained compared to that of the proton, with photon PDF uncertainties typically one or two orders of magnitude larger than their proton counterparts, despite the fact that its source, the $\gamma \rightarrow q\bar{q}$ splitting, is perturbatively calculable. The high luminosity, excellent particle identification, and far-backward electron tagging capabilities of the Electron-Ion Collider make it an ideal environment for studying photon parton distribution functions. Similar to the $p+p$ or $\pi+p$ systems, photoproduction at the EIC can be thought of as two parton distributions colliding. One of the most powerful processes in such collisions is production of lepton pairs, i.e. $h+p \rightarrow l^{+}l^{-} + X$, known as the Drell-Yan process. This process has the ability to access for the first time the transverse-momentum-dependent parton distributions of the photon. The transversely polarized proton beam of the EIC additionally provides a possible means of accessing the transversity distribution of the proton without relying on fragmentation functions.

Speaker: Henry Klest (Argonne National Laboratory)

EICUG_ECR_DrellYan_Klest.pdf

18 (EECR) Extracting Amplitudes for the Leptoproduction of Spin-1 Mesons

This poster will cover a spherical-harmonics moments based analysis to obtain the amplitudes governing meson production from a lepton beam. This extends the work performed at GlueX, in which this method was previously developed for and is being applied in current analyses. Both the framework itself, as well as some preliminary results will be shown, in which the moments analysis framework is able to resolve the underlying amplitudes. In particular, the separation of the transverse and longitudinal sectors is demonstrated and a value for R (the longitudinal to transverse ratio) is calculated and compared to previous estimations

Speaker: Dillon Leahy (University of Glasgow)

A_Partial_Wave_Approach_for_Meson_Leptoproduction.pdf

19 (EECR) VIRTUE: Virtual Interactive Reality Toolkit for Understanding the EIC

VIRTUE (Virtual Interactive Reality Toolkit for Understanding the EIC) is an event display and detector visualization application developed for the future Electron-Ion Collider. The application allows users to explore three-dimensional models of the ePIC detector and view simulated collision events on desktop, mobile, and virtual reality platforms. VIRTUE supports detector geometries and event data provided through open file formats and includes tools for converting EDM4eic simulation output into a format that can be displayed within the application. This poster describes the design and implementation of VIRTUE and discusses its applications for detector visualization, education, and outreach.

Speaker: Sean Preins (University of California Riverside)

VIRTUE_Poster.pdf

20 (LECR) The Dangers of Generative AI in Research

Generative AI is increasingly integrated into nuclear and hadron physics research, offering powerful tools for data analysis and interpretation. However, it also introduces underappreciated risks, including confidently incorrect outputs, misinterpretation of complex datasets, and the generation of physically inconsistent or “hallucinated” results. In high-precision environments, uncritical reliance on such systems can lead to flawed conclusions or unsafe assumptions.
This poster highlights these failure modes and emphasizes the need for rigorous validation, cross-checks, and sustained human oversight. Notably, the work itself carries a slightly humorous, meta dimension: both the poster and this analysis were produced using generative AI, illustrating firsthand the dual role of these systems as both useful tools and potential sources of error.

Speaker: Gary Penman (University of Glasgow)

Designer.png

gary_poster.pdf

10:30 AM Coffee Break

Session 2: Contributed Talks (Analysis) and Software Tutorial

21 (LECR) Meson Structure/Lumi Measurements at the EIC

Happy to give a talk on Meson Structure or Luminosity measurements (or a mix of both) of any length!

Speaker: Stephen Kay (University of York)

SJDK_ECR_Talk.pptx

22 EIC Software Tutorial: Track-Cluster Matching and PODIO (1)

Speaker: Derek Anderson (Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility)

EICSoftwareIntro.EICUGECRWS2026.pdf

Track-Cluster Matching Tutorial

12:30 PM Lunch Break

Session 3: Software Tutorial and Posters

23 EIC Software Tutorial: Track-Cluster Matching and PODIO (2)

Speaker: Derek Anderson (Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility)

EICSoftwareIntro.EICUGECRWS2026.pdf

Track-Cluster Matching Tutorial

24 (EECR) Testing Particle Identification Components for the ePIC Detector

Particle identification in the ePIC detector relies partly on the detection of internally reflected Cherenkov photons produced in electron-ion collisions. This work compares two candidate MCP-PMT photon detectors by characterising their timing resolution, gain, quantum efficiency and crosstalk to determine their suitability for the ePIC DIRC detector component. We present the current progress of these measurements, discuss the performance of the detectors studied so far and outline the remaining work to complete this evaluation.

Speaker: Kathleen Ramage (University of Glasgow)

Kathleen_ECR_Poster (1).pdf

25 (EECR) Design and Optical Simulation of a Laser Monitoring System for the ePIC pfRICH Detector

The proximity-focusing Ring Imaging Cherenkov detector, known as pfRICH, is an important particle identification detector in the ePIC experiment at the Electron-Ion Collider. To ensure reliable detector performance over long-term operation, a laser monitoring system is being developed as an independent in-situ calibration tool. This system is designed to monitor possible changes in the detector response caused by optical misalignment, photon detection instability, aging of components, or variation in light collection efficiency. In this study, an optical simulation of the laser monitoring configuration is performed using TracePro to evaluate the photon coverage on the HRPPD sensor plane. Different diffuser configurations are tested to study how the diffuser opening angle affects the light distribution across the detector plane. The simulation results show that increasing the diffuser opening angle improves the photon coverage, with coverage values of 65.68%, 81.22%, and 93.37% for 41°, 47°, and 52° configurations, respectively. Although the 52° configuration provides the highest coverage, the 47° configuration offers a practical balance between optical performance and production feasibility. Therefore, the laser monitoring system provides a promising approach for maintaining stable detector calibration and supporting the long-term performance of the pfRICH detector.

Speaker: Zakia Sultana Tithi (Student)

3:00 PM Coffee Break

Session 4: Voting and Town Hall

26 Group Photo

27 Voting

28 Early Career Town Hall [Closed Session]

Speakers: Akshaya Vijay (University Of Manitoba), Derek Anderson (Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility), Gary Penman (University of Glasgow), Jennifer Rittenhouse West (UC Berkeley)

Workshop Dinner

Mother India Restaurant