Nucleon form factors and the BLAST experiment

Measurements of the charge and magnetic form factors of the nucleon present a sensitive test of nucleon models and QCD-inspired theories. A precise knowledge of the neutron form factors at low Q² is also essential to reduce the systematic errors of parity-violation experiments. At the MIT-Bates Linear Accelerator Center, the nucleon form factors have been measured by means of scattering of polarized electrons from vector-polarized hydrogen and deuterium. The experiment used the longitudinally polarized stored electron beam of the MIT-Bates South Hall Ring along with an isotopically pure, highly vector-polarized internal atomic hydrogen and deuterium target provided by an atomic beam source. The measurements have been carried out with the symmetric Bates Large-Acceptance Spectrometer Toroid (BLAST) with enhanced neutron detection capability.