Speaker
Description
High precision muonic deuterium spectroscopic measurements found a significantly smaller (7$\sigma$) deuteron charge radius compared to the CODATA recommended value, creating the ``deuteron charge radius puzzle''. In order to investigate this, the DRad experiment (Jefferson Lab PR12-20-006) was proposed to measure the $e-d$ elastic scattering cross section in a very low momentum transfer squared region ($\rm{Q}^2 = 2\times10^{-4} - 5\times10^{-2}~\rm{(GeV/c)}^2$), with a sub-percent proposed precision. The designed setup of the experiment will be largely based on that of the PRad-II experiment (Jefferson Lab PR12-20-004), with an addition of a low energy silicon-based cylindrical recoil detector within the windowless gas flow target cell for the suppression of the quasi-elastic background. The absolute $e-d$ elastic scattering cross section will be normalized to that of the well-known Moller scattering process, which will be measured simultaneously within similar kinematics and detector acceptances. In this talk, we will present the design of the experimental setup, related studies, and preliminary projected results.
