Discovery vs. Precision in Nuclear Physics- A Tale of Three Scales

TL;DR

This paper explores the interconnectedness of three key length scales in nuclear physics, demonstrating how understanding these relationships is crucial for grasping nuclear properties and the implications for experimental measurements.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive analysis linking nuclear size, nucleon separation, and nucleon size through theoretical models and examples, highlighting the importance of multi-scale understanding.

Findings

High momentum components are inevitable in nuclear wave functions.

The three scales are closely related and influence each other.

Experiments can measure momentum dependence under certain conditions.

Abstract

At least three length scales are important in gaining a complete understanding of the physics of nuclei. These are the radius of the nucleus, the average inter-nucleon separation distance, and the size of the nucleon. The connections between the different scales are examined by using examples that demonstrate the direct connection between short-distance and high momentum transfer physics and also that significant high momentum content of wave functions is inevitable. The nuclear size is connected via the independent-pair approximation to the nucleon-nucleon separation distance, and this distance is connected via the concept of virtuality to the EMC effect. An explanation of the latter is presented in terms of light-front holographic wave functions of QCD. The net result is that the three scales are closely related, so that a narrow focus on any given specific range of scales may prevent an understanding of the fundamental origins of nuclear properties. It is also determined that, under certain suitable conditions, experiments are able to measure the momentum dependence of wave functions.