JLab Measurements of the 3He Form Factors at Large Momentum Transfers

TL;DR

This paper reports measurements of 3He charge and magnetic form factors at high momentum transfers, revealing diffraction features and aligning with advanced theoretical models of three-body nuclear interactions.

Contribution

It provides new experimental data on 3He form factors at large Q2, confirming predicted diffraction minima and supporting realistic three-body nuclear calculations.

Findings

Evidence of a second diffraction minimum in magnetic form factor

Continuing diffractive structure in charge form factor

Qualitative agreement with theoretical three-body models

Abstract

The charge and magnetic form factors, FC and FM, of 3He have been extracted in the kinematic range 25 fm-2 < Q2 < 61 fm-2 from elastic electron scattering by detecting 3He recoil nuclei and electrons in coincidence with the High Resolution Spectrometers of the Hall A Facility at Jefferson Lab. The measurements are indicative of a second diffraction minimum for the magnetic form factor, which was predicted in the Q2 range of this experiment, and of a continuing diffractive structure for the charge form factor. The data are in qualitative agreement with theoretical calculations based on realistic interactions and accurate methods to solve the three-body nuclear problem.