A = 3(e,e') 𝑥_B ≥ 1 Cross-Section Ratios and the Isospin Structure of Short-Range Correlations

Authors

A. Schmidt, The George Washington University
A. W. Denniston, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
E. M. Seroka, The George Washington University
N. Barnea, The Racah Institute of Physics
D. W. Higinbotham, Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility
I. Korover, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
G. A. Miller, University of Washington - Seattle Campus
E. Piasetzky, Tel Aviv University
M. Strikman, The Pennsylvania State University
L. B. Weinstein, Old Dominion UniversityFollow
R. Weiss, Los Alamos National Laboratory
O. Hen, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2024

DOI

10.1103/PhysRevC.109.054001

Publication Title

Physical Review C

Volume

109

Pages

054001

Abstract

We study the relation between measured high-𝑥_𝐵, high-𝑄², helium-3 to tritium, (𝑒,𝑒′) inclusive-scattering cross-section ratios and the relative abundance of high-momentum neutron-proton (𝑛⁢𝑝) and proton-proton (𝑝⁢𝑝) short-range correlated nucleon pairs in three-body (𝐴=3) nuclei. Analysis of these data using a simple pair-counting cross-section model suggested a much smaller 𝑛⁢𝑝/𝑝⁢𝑝 ratio than previously measured in heavier nuclei, questioning our understanding of 𝐴 = 3 nuclei and, by extension, all other nuclei. Here, we examine this finding using spectral-function-based cross-section calculations, with both an ab initio 𝐴 = 3 spectral function and effective generalized contact formalism spectral functions using different nucleon-nucleon interaction models. The ab initio calculation agrees with the data, showing good understanding of the structure of 𝐴 = 3 nuclei. An 8% uncertainty on the simple pair-counting model, as implied by the difference between it and the ab initio calculation, gives a factor of 5 uncertainty in the extracted 𝑛⁢𝑝/𝑝⁢𝑝 ratio. Thus we see no evidence for the claimed “unexpected structure in the high-momentum wave function for hydrogen-3 and helium-3.”

Rights

© 2024 American Physical Society

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Original Publication Citation

Schmidt, A., Denniston, A. W., Seroka, E. M., Barnea, N., Higinbotham, D. W., Korover, I., Miller, G. A., Piasetzky, E., Strikman, M., Weinstein, L. B., Weiss, R., & Hen, O. (2024). A = 3(e,e') 𝑥_B ≥ 1 cross-section ratios and the isospin structure of short-range correlations. Physical Review C, 109(5), 1-6, Article 054001. https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevC.109.054001

ORCID

0000-0001-5416-2900 (Weinstein)

Repository Citation

Schmidt, A.; Denniston, A. W.; Seroka, E. M.; Barnea, N.; Higinbotham, D. W.; Korover, I.; Miller, G. A.; Piasetzky, E.; Strikman, M.; Weinstein, L. B.; Weiss, R.; and Hen, O., "A = 3(e,e') 𝑥_B ≥ 1 Cross-Section Ratios and the Isospin Structure of Short-Range Correlations" (2024). Physics Faculty Publications. 849.
https://digitalcommons.odu.edu/physics_fac_pubs/849