Unified description of electron-nucleus scattering within the spectral function formalism

TL;DR

This paper introduces a new theoretical framework for electron-nucleus scattering that incorporates one- and two-nucleon currents, improving agreement with experimental data and aiding neutrino interaction studies.

Contribution

The authors present a generalized spectral function formalism that consistently includes two-nucleon currents in electron-nucleus scattering calculations.

Findings

Improved match between theoretical predictions and experimental electron-carbon cross sections.

Significant contribution of two-nucleon currents to the transverse response.

Enhanced understanding of nuclear effects relevant for neutrino-nucleus interactions.

Abstract

We developed a novel approach based on a generalization of factorization and nuclear spectral functions, allowing for a consistent treatment of the amplitudes involving one- and two-nucleon currents, whose contribution to the nuclear electromagnetic response in the transverse channel is known to be significant. We report the results of calculations of the inclusive electron-carbon cross section, showing that the inclusion of processes involving two-nucleon currents appreciably improves the agreement between theory and data in the dip region, between the quasi elastic and $\Delta$-production peaks. The implications for the analysis of neutrino-nucleus cross sections are discussed.