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 Nuclear Tuesday, October 18, 2011 3:30 PM Physics Building, Room 204 Stephen Bueltmann [Host: D. G. Crabb] Old Dominion University "Polarized Proton-Proton Elastic Scattering at RHIC"   Slideshow (PDF) ABSTRACT:The availability of polarized proton beams at RHIC opened a window to an unexplored kinematic region up to a center of mass energy of 500 GeV for elastic and diffractive proton-proton scattering. Besides the measurement of the total scattering cross section, the polarization of the protons leads to a single spin asymmetry $A_N$, arising from an interference between the electromagnetic proton spin-flip and the hadronic non-flip scattering amplitudes. The measurement is sensitive enough to detect a possible hadronic spin-flip contribution, which cannot be ruled out by the available data. Detailed theoretical model calculations are also available for the double spin asymmetries $A_{NN}$ and $A_{SS}$, assuming varying magnitudes of an Odderon contribution to the scattering amplitude, which we will be able to distinguish at the 5\% level. The Odderon is the hypothetical charge and parity odd partner of the dominant Pomeron. Preliminary data from RHIC run 09 taken with the STAR detector will be shown. SLIDESHOW: