W&M Polarized Target Lab W&M Hadronic Physics Group W&M Physics Department College of
William & Mary Jefferson Lab Contact Info

Todd D. Averett

Experimental Nuclear Physics

Todd D. Averett
Associate Professor of Physics
Office: relocated to Millington 229
Phone: (757) 221-3534
E-mail: tdaver at wm.edu

Education and Experience:
B.S. Physics, Arizona State University, 1990
Ph.D. Physics, University of Virginia, 1995
Research Fellow, California Institute of Technology, 1995-98
Faculty, College of William & Mary, Dept of Physics, 1998-present

Career Information:
Curriculum Vitae

Personal Statement

Jefferson Lab Research Program

I am a member of the Hadronic Physics Group at the College of William and Mary. My research area is experimental nuclear physics with an emphasis on nucleon structure studies. I am currently involved in experiments in both Halls A and C at Jefferson Lab using polarized helium-3 targets and parity-violating electron scattering. I also operate a polarized Helium-3 Target Lab at the College of William and Mary.  

Recently Completed Experiments For Which I am Co-spokesperson:

• A_y QE (e,e') - Two Photon Exchange in quasi-elastic electron scattering from vertically polarized ³He.  Because this experiment detects only the scattered electron, the asymmetry is expected to be identically zero in the Born approximation.  At large Q², it provides a new constraint on moments of the GPDs.
• A_y QE (e,e'n) - Target Single Spin Asymmetry in quasi-elastic electron scattering from vertically polarized ³He.  In contrast to the experiment above, this measurement, which requires detection of the recoil neutron, is expected to be quite large due to nuclear FSI.  This provides a sensitive test of 3-body calculations of the ³He nucleus.
• A_y DIS (e,e') - Two Photon Exchange in deep-inelastic electron scattering from vertically polarized ³He.  Sensitive to physics at the quark level.  Expect A_y~10^-4 due to quark mass and higher-twist effects.

Additional Recently Completed Experiments using Polarized He:

• Transversity - SIDIS to measure neutron transversity distribution
• (e,e'd) - ³He nuclear wavefunction studies
• d₂ measurement - search for higher twist effects in neutron spin structure
• G_Eⁿ at large Q² - Neutron electric form factor at large Q²

Experimental Interests for the Jefferson Lab 12 GeV Upgrade:

• Neutron Color Polarizabilities - g₂ and d₂ at high Q² in Hall C using Polarized ³He (co-spokesperson)
• Neutron Spin Asymmetry A₁ⁿ - High Q² in Hall C using Polarized ³He
• Neutron Spin Asymmetry A₁ⁿ - High Q² in Hall A using Polarized ³He
• Neutron Electric Form Factor - High Q² in Hall A using Polarized ³He

HIGS--Polarized ³He research using real photons at the High Intensity Gamma-Ray Source

• Experiment HIGS-E-03-09 --Three-Body Photodisintegration of ³He with double polarizations for Eγ from 10-40 MeV

 

Current Funding

• Department of Energy - Averett, Griffioen

 Publications 

• All publications 

• Recent publications (2004-present)

Professional Activities 

• Jefferson Lab Hall A Collaboration Coordinating Committee

Courses Taught at William & Mary

• PHYS 101/102 - General Physics
• PHYS 176 - Astronomy
• PHYS 401/402 - Electricity and Magnetism
• PHYS 313/314 - Introduction to Quantum Physics
• PHYS 403 - Thermodynamics and Introduction to Statistical Mechanics

Graduate Physics Program at William and Mary

The Physics Department at William and Mary offers outstanding research and educational opportunities for students interested in graduate physics studies. If you would like to receive more information, please check out the W&M Graduate Physics Program Page and feel free to contact me at the phone number or e-mail above.

Current Graduate Students

• Joe Katich (Ph.D. est. May 2010)
• Kelly Kluttz

Ph.D.'s under Averett's supervision

• Kevin Kramer (2003)
• Vincent Sulkosky (2007)
• Aidan Kelleher (2009)