Dr. Kinney's research is focused on understanding the structure of the proton and neutron in terms of the constituent quarks and gluons. This study is experimental and phenomenological, using high energy reactions to determine the distribution of the quarks and gluons in the nucleon in both space and in momentum as well as how the quarks and gluons are polarized. A fundamental question which remains unanswered is how the spin of the proton arises from the quark and gluon contributions. New studies of the semi-inclusive deep inelastic reaction at the recently upgraded Jefferson Lab allow precise tests of the reaction model, allowing new precise measurements of quark distributions for each flavor. New work is focused on measuring the details of how a highly energetic quark for transforms into a shower of energetic hadronic particles. Current research is the study of the high-momentum component of quarks in the nucleon, both unpolarized and polarized.
keywords
high energy nuclear physics, quark-gluon structure of the nucleon and nuclei, spin structure of the nucleon, deep inelastic lepton scattering, polarized proton-proton collisions, Drell-Yan reactions in proton-nucleon reactions, multiwire proportional and drift chambers
The SeaQuest spectrometer at Fermilab.
Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors, and Associated Equipment.
49-63.
2019
The HERMES polarized 3He internal gas target.
Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors, and Associated Equipment.
16-44.
1998
The HERMES spectrometer.
Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors, and Associated Equipment.
230-265.
1998
PHYS 1110 - General Physics 1
Primary Instructor
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Spring 2021 / Fall 2021 / Spring 2022
First semester of three-semester sequence for science and engineering students. Covers kinematics, dynamics, momentum of particles and rigid bodies, work and energy, gravitation, and simple harmonic motion. Degree credit not granted for this course and PHYS 1115.
PHYS 1115 - General Physics 1 for Majors
Secondary Instructor
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Fall 2020 / Spring 2021
First semester of three semester sequence for physics, engineering physics and astronomy majors. Covers kinematics, dynamics momentum of particles and rigid bodies, work and energy, gravitation, and simple harmonic motion. Degree credit not granted for this course and PHYS 1110.
PHYS 1120 - General Physics 2
Secondary Instructor
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Fall 2018 / Fall 2022 / Spring 2023 / Fall 2023
Three lect., one rec. per week, plus three evening exams in the fall and spring semesters. Second semester of three-semester introductory sequence for science and engineering students. Covers electricity and magnetism, wave motion and optics. Normally is taken concurrently with PHYS 1140. Degree credit not granted for this course and PHYS 1125.
PHYS 2010 - General Physics 1
Primary Instructor
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Spring 2018 / Spring 2019 / Fall 2019
Includes three lectures, one two-hour laboratory/recitation per week, plus three evening exams in the fall and spring semesters. Covers mechanics, heat and sound. Thorough presentation of fundamental facts and principles of physics using algebra and trigonometry. Designed for life science majors, including premed students. Natural science majors with a knowledge of calculus and others taking calculus are urged to take the calculus-based courses PHYS 1110, PHYS 1120, PHYS 1140 and PHYS 2130, rather than PHYS 2010 and PHYS 2020. Department enforced prerequisites: ability to use high school algebra and trigonometry.
PHYS 3330 - Electronics for the Physical Sciences
Primary Instructor
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Spring 2020
Introduces laboratory electronics for physical science students. Includes basic electronic instruments, dc bridge circuits, operational amplifiers, bipolar transistors, field-effect transistors, photodiodes, noise in electronic circuits, digital logic and microcontrollers. Students gain hands-on experience in designing, building and debugging circuits. Two lectures and one three hour laboratory per week. Concludes with a three-week project in which students design and build an experiment of their choice and present a seminar on the results.
PHYS 4230 - Thermodynamics and Statistical Mechanics
Primary Instructor
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Fall 2024
Statistical mechanics applied to macroscopic physical systems; statistical thermodynamics, classical thermodynamics systems; applications to simple systems. Examines relationship of statistical to thermodynamic points of view.
