Precision gamma-ray polarimetry applied to studies of bremsstrahlung produced by polarized electrons

The thesis reports on the measurement of bremsstrahlung linear polarization produced in collisions of longitudinally and transversely polarized electrons with gold atoms. The experiment was performed at the Mainzer Microtron MAMI in the Institut fuer Kernphysik of Johannes Gutenberg-Universitaet Mainz, Germany. Spin-oriented electrons with 2.15 MeV kinetic energy collided with a thin golden target and produced bremsstrahlung. Linear polarization of the emitted photons was measured by means of Compton polarimetry applied to a segmented high-purity germanium detector. Experimental results reveal a strong correlation between the electron spin orientation and bremsstrahlung linear polarization. This indicates a dominant role of the electron spin in atomic-field bremsstrahlung and Coulomb scattering.