Contents

 
• Motivation
  • Introduction
    • CKM Matrix
    • Conserved Vector Current Hypothesis
    • Radiative Correction
  • Panofsky Ratio
    • Kinematics of Single Charge Exchange and Pion Capture Reactions
      • Single Charge Exchange
      • Radiative Capture
• 1997 Apparatus and Beam Line
  • Beam Line
  • 1997 Apparatus
    • CsI Detector
    • NaI Detector
    • Liquid Hydrogen Target and Beam Counters
    • Area Layout
    • Electronics and Trigger Configurations
      • Components of Event Triggers
      • Event Triggers
• Tomography of Scintillators
  • Experimental Motivation for Scintillator Tomography
  • Experimental Apparatus
    • Cosmic Muon Tomography Detector
    • Radioactive Source Tomography Apparatus: RASTA
  • Results and Discussion
    • Cosmic Muon Tomography Results
      • Crystal Light Collection Nonuniformities
      • Results of Light Output Measurements
    • RASTA Results
  • Tomography of PIBETA Plastic Veto Staves
• Energy Calibration of Pure CsI Detectors
  • First and Second Level Pedestal Corrections
  • Gain Matching
    • Gain Matching Algorithm
    • Temporal Stability
• Angular Resolution of CsI and NaI Detector Arrays
  • Shower Origin Reconstruction Algorithm
  • Angular Resolution Optimization
    • ADC Weighting Exponent
    • Shower Depth Parameter
• Clustering Algorithm and Calorimeter Response to Photons and Positrons
  • Cluster size definition
  • Cluster Size Optimization
    • Energy Resolution
    • Event Reconstruction Efficiency
• Pion Single Charge Exchange and Capture Reactions
  • Two Arm Trigger
  • One Arm Trigger
    • Timing Corrections and Cuts
      • Time Slewing
      • Beam Counter Timing Cut
    • Noise in Outer Detectors
    • Panofsky Ratio
• Conclusion
• References
• About this document ...

Acknowledgments

I would like to thank my research advisor Dr. Dinko Pocanic for his inpsiration and direction throughout my membership in the PIBETA collaboration. His knowledge, enthusiasm, and careful advice have been a very positive and helpful influence for the past three years. I would also like to thank Dr. Emil Frlez for sharing his expertise on numerous topics, especially the cosmic muon tomography project, and for many valuable suggestions during the editing process of this work. Many thanks to Dr. Stefan Ritt for his timely and useful advice and help with data management and calibration algorithms, to Dr. Bernward Krause, for daily helpful discussions about the tomography project and data analysis, and to Thomas Flügel for numerous constructive conversations. I would also like to thank Dr. Ralph Minehart for his suggestions toward the editing and completion of this work, and for several years of good physics instruction.

Thank you Wright, Dori, and Sarah Doyle for welcoming me on various holidays and non-holidays, and for housing me indefinitely and on short notice. Thank you Ken, Victoria, and Anne for your wonderful friendships, and for all of the fun and support you've provided. Thank you Supriya, Drew, and Warren for all of the dinner breaks, ice skating breaks, and for your understanding and friendship when it counted. To my volleyball team: Ken, Lori, Krissy, Kaitie and Ishi, thanks for all of your entertainment and great volleyball.

I would especially like to thank my family for their support and companionship throughout my education.

5

The Panofsky Ratio, and the Response of the PIBETA Calorimeter to Photons and Positrons
Penelope Lee Slocum
Amherst, New Hampshire
B.A., University of Virginia, 1991
M.A., University of Virginia, 1995
A Dissertation Presented to the Graduate
Faculty of the University of Virginia
in Candidacy for the Degree of
Doctor of Philosophy
Department of Physics
University of Virginia
January 1999