Towards observation of three-nucleon short-range correlations in high Q^2 A(e, e')X reactions

TL;DR

This paper investigates the conditions necessary to observe three-nucleon short-range correlations in nuclei via inclusive electron scattering, predicting a quadratic relation in cross section ratios and analyzing existing data for signatures of 3N-SRC dominance.

Contribution

It identifies the kinematic conditions for probing 3N-SRCs and predicts a quadratic dependence of cross section ratios, providing new insights into three-nucleon correlations in nuclei.

Findings

Predicted quadratic dependence of cross section ratios in 3N-SRC region.

Found signatures of 3N-SRC dominance in existing data.

Extracted the probability of 3N-SRCs, larger than 2N-SRCs.

Abstract

We present a detailed study of kinematical and dynamical conditions necessary for probing highly elusive three-nucleon short range correlations~(3N-SRCs) in nuclei through inclusive electron scattering. The kinematic requirements that should be satisfied in order to isolate 3N-SRCs in inclusive processes are derived. We demonstrate that a sequence of two short-range NN interactions represents the main mechanism for 3N-SRCs in inclusive processes. Within this mechanism we predict a quadratic dependence of the inclusive cross section ratios of nuclei to $^3$He in the 3N-SRC region to the same ratio measured in 2N-SRC domain. The extended analysis of the available data satisfying the necessary 3N-SRC kinematical conditions is presented. This analysis provides tantalizing signatures of scaling associated with the onset of 3N-SRC dominance. The same data are also consistent with the prediction of the quadratic relation between the ratios measured in the 3N and 2N-SRC regions for nuclei ranging $4 \le A \le 197$. This agreement made it possible to extract $a_3(A)$, the probability of 3N-SRCs relative to the A=3 nucleus. We find $a_3(A)$ to be significantly larger in magnitude than the analogous parameter, $a_2(A)$, for 2N-SRCs.