Quasifree (e,e'p) reactions on nuclei with neutron excess

TL;DR

This paper investigates how (e,e'p) reaction cross sections vary with neutron-proton asymmetry in nuclei, using different theoretical models and comparing to experimental data to understand the influence of neutron excess.

Contribution

It compares nonrelativistic and relativistic models for (e,e'p) reactions on nuclei with varying neutron excess, providing insights into model dependencies on asymmetry.

Findings

Models agree with experimental data for stable nuclei.

Cross sections vary with neutron excess, revealing model sensitivities.

Relativistic and nonrelativistic approaches show consistent trends.

Abstract

We study the evolution of the (e,e'p) cross section on nuclei with increasing asymmetry between the number of neutrons and protons. The calculations are done within the framework of the distorted-wave impulse approximation, by adopting nonrelativistic and relativistic models. We compare the results obtained with three different approaches based on the mean-field description for the proton bound state wave function. In the nonrelativistic model phenomenological Woods-Saxon and Hartree-Fock wave functions are used, in the relativistic model the wave functions are solutions of Dirac-Hartree equations. The models are first tested against experimental data on $^{16}$O, $^{40}$Ca, and $^{48}$Ca nuclei, and then they are applied to calculate \eep cross sections for a set of spherical calcium and oxygen isotopes. From the comparison of the results obtained for the various isotopes we can infer information about the dependence of the various ingredients of the models on the neutron to proton asymmetry.