Comment on "Quasielastic lepton scattering and back-to-back nucleons in the short-time approximation", by S. Pastore et al

TL;DR

This paper critiques Pastore et al.'s work on quantum Monte Carlo methods for nuclear responses, highlighting that their discussion of y-scaling is misleading due to non-scaling contributions in the transverse channel.

Contribution

It clarifies the limitations of y-scaling in the transverse channel, emphasizing the importance of non-scaling processes in nuclear electromagnetic responses.

Findings

Y-scaling in the transverse channel is accidental due to non-scaling processes.

Non-scaling contributions significantly affect the transverse response.

Critique of Pastore et al.'s interpretation of y-scaling.

Abstract

The article of Pastore et al, while proposing an interesting and potentially useful approach for the generalisation of Quantum Monte Carlo techniques to the treatment of the nuclear electromagnetic response, features an incorrect and misleading discussion of y-scaling. The response to interactions with transversely polarised virtual photons receives sizeable contributions from non-scaling processes, in which the momentum transfer is shared between two nucleons. It follows that, contrary to what is stated by the the authors, y-scaling in the transverse channel is accidental.