Off-the-energy-shell pp scattering in the exclusive proton knockout 12C(p,2p) reaction at 392 MeV

TL;DR

This study investigates the off-the-energy-shell effects in proton-proton interactions during the 12C(p,2p) reaction at 392 MeV, highlighting their importance in accurately modeling the measured cross sections.

Contribution

It introduces a detailed nonrelativistic DWIA approach that accounts for off-shell pp interactions and examines simplifying assumptions in previous models.

Findings

Off-the-energy-shell matrix elements are crucial for describing asymmetric peaks.

Accurate kinematic treatment improves the understanding of the reaction dynamics.

Simplifications in earlier models may overlook essential interaction effects.

Abstract

The triple differential cross section (TDX) for the 12C(p,2p) proton knockout reaction from the 1p3/2 single-particle state measured at 392 MeV is investigated by nonrelativistic distorted wave impulse approximation (DWIA) with accurate treatment of the kinematics of the colliding two protons and effects of in-medium modification to the matrix elements of the proton-proton (pp) effective interaction. Some simplifying approximations made in previous studies with DWIA are examined. The off-the-energy-shell matrix elements of the pp effective interaction are shown to play an essential role in describing the asymmetric two peaks of the measured TDX corresponding to the kinematics in which the momentum transfer is fixed.