Searching for three-nucleon short-range correlations

TL;DR

This paper reviews the current understanding of short-range correlations in nuclei, focusing on the potential role of three-nucleon SRCs and the experimental challenges in identifying them.

Contribution

It summarizes previous efforts to detect 3N-SRCs, discusses limitations, and outlines future experimental prospects for exploring their properties.

Findings

2N-SRCs are well-mapped in nuclei.

3N-SRCs are not yet conclusively observed.

Future experiments aim to identify and characterize 3N-SRCs.

Abstract

Electron scattering measurements from high-momentum nucleons in nuclei at SLAC and Jefferson Lab (JLab) have shown that these nucleons are generally associated with two-nucleon short-range correlations (2N-SRCs). These SRCs are formed when two nucleons in the nucleus interact at short distance via the strong tensor attraction or repulsive core of the NN potential. A series of measurements at JLab have mapped out the A dependence and isospin dependence of 2N-SRCs, and have begun to map out their momentum structure. However, we do not yet know if 3N-SRCs, similar high-momentum configurations of three nucleons, play an important role in nuclei. We summarize here previous attempts to isolate 3N-SRCs, go over the limitations of these previous attempts, and discuss the present and near-term prospects for searching for 3N-SRCs, mapping out their A dependence in nuclei, and constraining their isospin and momentum structure.