Determination of the pattern of nuclear binding from the data on the lepton-nucleus deep inelastic scattering

TL;DR

This paper analyzes lepton-nucleus deep inelastic scattering data to reveal a factorized pattern of nuclear modifications in nucleon structure functions, identifying specific crossover points and linking the EMC effect to nucleon structure changes within nuclear binding fields.

Contribution

It demonstrates that the x and A dependence of F2 structure function ratios can be factorized and identifies crossover points, providing new insights into the origin of the EMC effect.

Findings

The r(x) ratio deviations from unity can be factorized across x and A.

Three crossover points x_i where r(x) = 1 are identified, with x_3 = 0.84 +/- 0.01.

Nucleon structure evolution occurs in two steps, for A ≤ 4 and A > 4.

Abstract

Nucleon structure function ratios r(x) = F2A(x)/F2D(x) measured in the range of atomic masses A larger or equal 4 are analyzed with the aim to determine the pattern of the x and A dependence of F2(x) modifications caused by nuclear environment. It is found that the x and A dependence of the deviations of the r(x) from unity can be factorized in the entire range of x. The characteristic feature of the factorization is represented with the three cross-over points x_i, i = 1 -- 3 in which r(x) = 1 independently of A. In the range x lager than 0.7 the pattern of r(x) is fixed with x_3 = 0.84 +/- 0.01. The pattern of the x dependence is compared with theoretical calculations of Burov, Molochkov and Smirnov to demonstrate that evolution of the nucleon structure as a function of A occurs in two steps, first for A less or equal 4 and second for A larger than 4. The long-standing problem of the origin of the EMC effect is understood as the modification of the nucleon structure in the field responsible for the binding forces in a three-nucleon system.