JLab: probing hadronic physics with electrons and photons

Abstract

Precision measurements of the structure of nucleons and nuclei in the regime of strong interaction QCD are now possible with the availability of high current polarized electron beams, polarized targets, and recoil polarimeters, in conjunction with modern spectrometers and detector instrumentation. The physics at JLab will be highlighted using two recent measurements of general interest. The ratio of the proton electric to magnetic form factors indicates the importance of the role of angular momentum in the structure of the nucleon. The existence of 5-quark configurations in the ground state wavefunctions of hadrons is confirmed by a narrow peak attributed to an exotic baryon with strangeness S=+1. These and other examples will be used to illustrate the capabilities and focus of the experimental program at JLab.