We have measured parity-violating asymmetries in elastic electron-proton scattering over the range of momentum transfers 0.12 < or =Q2 < or =1.0 GeV2. These asymmetries, arising from interference of the electromagnetic and neutral weak interactions, are sensitive to strange-quark contributions to the currents of the proton. The measurements were made at Jefferson Laboratory using a toroidal spectrometer to detect the recoiling protons from a liquid hydrogen target. The results indicate nonzero, Q2 dependent, strange-quark contributions and provide new information beyond that obtained in previous experiments.

We report new measurements of the parity-violating asymmetry A(PV) in elastic scattering of 3 GeV electrons off hydrogen and 4He targets with approximately 6.0 degrees . The 4He result is A(PV)=(+6.40+/-0.23(stat)+/-0.12(syst))x10(-6). The hydrogen result is A(PV)=(-1.58+/-0.12(stat)+/-0.04(syst))x10(-6). These results significantly improve constraints on the electric and magnetic strange form factors G(E)(s) and G(M)(s). We extract G(E)(s)=0.002+/-0.014+/-0.007 at =0.077 GeV2, and G(E)(s)+0.09G(M)(s)=0.007+/-0.011+/-0.006 at =0.109 GeV2, providing new limits on the role of strange quarks in the nucleon charge and magnetization distributions.

We have measured parity-violating asymmetries in elastic electron-proton and quasi-elastic electron-deuteron scattering at Q 2 = 0.22 and 0.63 GeV 2 . They are sensitive to strange quark contributions to currents in the nucleon, and to the nucleon axial current. The results indicate strange quark contributions of < ∼ 10% of the charge and magnetic nucleon form factors at these four-momentum transfers. We also present the first measurement of anapole moment effects in the axial current at these four-momentum transfers.PACS numbers: 11.30. Er, 14.20.Dh, 25.30.Bf At short distance scales, bound systems of quarks have relatively simple properties and QCD is successfully described by perturbation theory. However, on the size scale of the bound state, ∼ 1 fm, the QCD coupling constant is large and the effects of the color fields are a significant challenge, even in lattice QCD. In addition to valence quarks, e.g., uud for the proton, there is a sea of gluons and qq pairs that plays an important role. From a series of experiments measuring the parity-violating asymmetries of electrons scattered from protons and neutrons, we can extract the contributions of strange quarks to nucleon ground state charge and magnetic form factors. These strange quark contributions are exclusively part of the quark sea because there are no strange valence quarks in the nucleon. experiments have previously reported measurements of these parity-violating asymmetries. Using the combined forward angle asymmetries and the SAMPLE backward angle proton and deuteron measurements, a complete experimental determination of the strange quark vector currents and the axial current (see discussion below) has been made at a four-momentum transfer Q 2 = 0.1 GeV 2 [5]. In this paper, we report the first complete backward angle asymmetry measurements since the SAMPLE experiment, at the four-momentum transfers

We have measured the beam-normal single-spin asymmetry An in the elastic scattering of 1-3 GeV transversely polarized electrons from 1 H and for the first time from 4 He, 12 C, and 208 Pb. For 1 H, 4 He and 12 C, the measurements are in agreement with calculations that relate An to the imaginary part of the two-photon exchange amplitude including inelastic intermediate states. Surprisingly, the 208 Pb result is significantly smaller than the corresponding prediction using the same formalism. These results suggest that a systematic set of new An measurements might emerge as a new and sensitive probe of the structure of heavy nuclei.

We have measured the parity-violating electroweak asymmetry in the elastic scattering of polarized electrons from 4He at an average scattering angle = 5.7 degrees and a four-momentum transfer Q2 = 0.091 GeV2 . From these data, for the first time, the strange electric form factor of the nucleon G(E)s can be isolated. The measured asymmetry of A(PV) = (6.72 +/- 0.84(stat) +/- 0.21(syst) x 10(-6) yields a value of G(E)s = -0.038 +/- 0.042(stat) +/- 0.010(syst), consistent with zero.