# The nuclear force imprints revealed on the elastic scattering of protons with $^{10}$C

## TL;DR

This study demonstrates that measurements of proton elastic scattering on carbon-10 can reveal details about the nuclear force, with results showing sensitivity to different theoretical force models, advancing understanding of nuclear interactions.

## Contribution

It provides experimental data combined with ab initio calculations to identify observables sensitive to nuclear force parametrizations.

## Key findings

- Differential cross section shape varies with nuclear force models
- Proton scattering data constrains nuclear force parameters
- Results support the role of nuclear force in nuclear structure

## Abstract

How does nature hold together protons and neutrons to form the wide variety of complex nuclei in the universe? Describing many-nucleon systems from the fundamental theory of quantum chromodynamics has been the greatest challenge in answering this question. The chiral effective field theory description of the nuclear force now makes this possible but requires certain parameters that are not uniquely determined. Defining the nuclear force needs identification of observables sensitive to the different parametrizations. From a measurement of proton elastic scattering on $^{10}$C at TRIUMF and ab initio nuclear reaction calculations we show that the shape and magnitude of the measured differential cross section is strongly sensitive to the nuclear force prescription.