Precision Compton polarimetry for the QWeak experiment at Jefferson Lab

The Q(Weak) experiment, scheduled to run in 2010-2012 in Hall C at Jefferson Lab, will measure the parity-violating asymmetry in elastic electron-proton scattering at 1.1 GeV to determine the weak charge of the proton, Q(Weak)(p) = 1 - 4 sin(2) theta(W). The dominant experimental systematic uncertainty will be the knowledge of the electron beam polarization. With a new Compton polarimeter we aim to measure the beam polarization with a statistical precision of 1% in one hour and a systematic uncertainty of 1%. A low-gain Fabry-Perot cavity laser system provides the circularly polarized photons. The scattered electrons are detected in radiation-hard diamond strip detectors, and form the basis for a coincidence trigger using distributed logic boards. The photon detector uses a fast, undoped CsI crystal with simultaneous sampling and integrating read-out. Coincident events are used to cross-calibrate the photon and electron detectors.