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Title: Probing Few-Body Nuclear Dynamics via H 3 and He 3 ( e , e ' p ) pn Cross-Section Measurements

Journal Article · · Physical Review Letters
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Here, we report the first measurement of the (e, e' p) three-body breakup reaction cross sections in helium-3 (3He) and tritium (3H) at large momentum transfer ($$\langle{Q^2}\rangle$$ ≈ 1.9 (GeV/c)2) and xB > 1 kinematics, where the cross section should be sensitive to quasielastic (QE) scattering from single nucleons. The data cover missing momenta 40 ≤ pmiss ≤ 500 MeV/c that, in the QE limit with no rescattering, equals the initial momentum of the probed nucleon. The measured cross sections are compared with state-of-the-art ab-initio calculations. Overall good agreement, within ±20%, is observed between data and calculations for the full pmiss range for 3H and for 100 ≤ pmiss ≤ 350 MeV/c for 3He. Including the effects of rescattering of the outgoing nucleon improves agreement with the data at pmiss > 250 MeV/c and suggests contributions from charge-exchange (SCX) rescattering. The isoscalar sum of 3He plus 3H, which is largely insensitive to SCX, is described by calculations to within the accuracy of the data over the entire pmiss range. This validates current models of the ground state of the three-nucleon system up to very high initial nucleon momenta of 500 MeV/c.

Research Organization:
Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility (TJNAF), Newport News, VA (United States); Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States); Mississippi State Univ., Mississippi State, MS (United States); Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), Nuclear Physics (NP); National Science Foundation (NSF); Pazi Foundation; Israel Science Foundation; USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES); Polish National Science Centre (NCN)
Contributing Organization:
Jefferson Lab Hall A Tritium Collaboration
Grant/Contract Number:
AC05-06OR23177; AC02-05CH11231; AC02-06CH11357; SC0016577; PHY-1714809; SC0013615; 2016/22/M/ST2/00173; 2016/21/D/ST2/01120; FG02-07ER41528
OSTI ID:
1630898
Alternate ID(s):
OSTI ID: 1632161; OSTI ID: 1778966; OSTI ID: 1830336; OSTI ID: 1873161
Report Number(s):
JLAB-PHY-20-3137; DOE/OR/23177-4905; arXiv:2001.07230; PRLTAO; TRN: US2200717
Journal Information:
Physical Review Letters, Vol. 124, Issue 21; ISSN 0031-9007
Publisher:
American Physical Society (APS)Copyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 14 works
Citation information provided by
Web of Science

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