Polarized He-3 as an Effective Neutron Target for Deep Inelastic Scattering

Abstract

In undergraduate physics courses, we are all taught that a proton and a neutron both have a quantity called 'spin' which has a simple value of 1/2 in units of ℏ. It was first naively understood that this value comes from the addition of the spins of the basic constituents, quarks and gluons. However, experiments revealed that it is not enough. The value of 1/2 has yet to be reconciled with the addition of not only the spins of the constituents but also their orbital motion. Clearly, the spin structure in terms of the basic constituents needs more investigation. This thesis aims to describe the polarization and calibration of a polarized ³He target, which can be used for probing the spin structure of the neutron in terms of its constituents, quarks and gluons.