THE RHIC HYDROGEN JET LUMINESCENCE MONITOR

A hydrogen jet polarimeter was developed for the RHIC accelerator to improve the process of measuring polarization. Particle beams intersecting with gas molecules can produce light by the process known as luminescence. This light can then be focused, collected, and processed giving important information such as size, position, emittance, motion, and other parameters. The RHIC hydrogen jet polarimeter was modified in 2005 with specialized optics, vacuum windows, light transport, and a new camera system making it possible to monitor the luminescence produced by polarized protons intersecting the hydrogen beam. This paper describes the configuration and preliminary measurements taken using the RHIC hydrogen jet polarimeter as a luminescence monitor.