Simulation Studies for the Backward Hadronic Calorimeter Design in ePIC at the Electron-Ion Collider

The structure of the proton and of nuclei in terms of partons (quarks and gluons) remains a topic of intense study in quantum chromodynamics (the theory of the Strong Force), especially at high parton densities at low Feynman-x. The Electron-Ion Collider (EIC), planned to begin operation in 2032, will provide a new way to explore this structure. Collisions will be studied with the ePIC detector, a multi-component system designed to measure both scattered electrons and the hadrons they produce. A key subsystem, the backward hadronic calorimeter (HCAL), will measure hadrons traveling in the backward direction. Our group at Ohio State University is responsible for building the HCAL, and I will present simulation studies used to optimize its design, focusing on the effects of tile acceptance, efficiency, and non-uniformities on performance.