Proof of principle for nucleon polarization measurement at BESIII

Abstract

A novel technique for measuring the spin polarization of final-state nucleons in a general-purpose spectrometer is validated. Using $10.09\times10^{9}$ $J/ψ$ events at BESIII, the asymmetry of polarized proton scattering on detector support material is measured, and is consistent with the expected value. This proves that a general-purpose spectrometer can be utilized as a large-acceptance polarimeter, providing the spin polarization in addition to the conventional four-momentum information of the final-state particles. With this technique, physics capabilities are enhanced for existing and future facilities in particle and nuclear physics.

6 pages, 11 figures