PHENIX Forward Physics with the MPC

Mickey Chiu (BNL)

Over the years 2006 and 2007 PHENIX has installed a PbWO4 based
electromagnetic calorimeter, the Muon Piston Calorimeter (MPC), covering
approximately $3.1<|\eta|<3.8$ in both the forward and backward regions.
 These are regions which have not been fully explored and which are
highly interesting since detectors in this region allow the best access
to not only the low-x behavior of the nucleus, where there might be the
possibility of gluon saturation at RHIC energies, but also the high
$x_F$ region where sizable transverse spin asymmetries have been seen
previously.  Since the MPC has been installed, PHENIX has taken a varied
data set of transversely polarized proton data at a $\sqrt{s}$ = 200 GeV
and 62 GeV, as well as d+Au at $\sqrt{s}$ = 200 GeV.  We present the
latest interesting results from the MPC, which include the $\pi0$
SSA in transversely polarized p+p collisions and dihadron correlations
in d+Au in an attempt to search for effects from gluon saturation in the
nucleus.  We will also present some ideas for future measurements with
the MPC and new upgrade ideas we are proposing for the forward region in
PHENIX.