Inclusive quasielastic scattering of polarized electrons from polarized nuclei

The inclusive quasielastic response functions that appear in the scattering of polarized electrons from polarized nuclei are computed and analyzed for several closed-shell-minus-one nuclei with special attention paid to 39K. Results are presented using two models for the ejected nucleon --- when described by a distorted wave in the continuum shell model or by a plane wave in PWIA with on- and off-shell nucleons. Relativistic effects in kinematics and in the electromagnetic current have been incorporated throughout. Specifically, the recently obtained expansion of the electromagnetic current in powers only of the struck nucleon's momentum is employed for the on-shell current and the effects of the first-order terms (spin-orbit and convection) are compared with the zeroth-order (charge and magnetization) contributions. The use of polarized inclusive quasielastic electron scattering as a tool for determining near-valence nucleon momentum distributions is discussed.Comment: 51 LaTeX pages, 14 Postscript figure

Relativistic Effects in Electromagnetic Meson-Exchange Currents for One-Particle Emission Reactions

Following recent studies of non-relativistic reductions of the single-nucleon electromagnetic current operator, here we extend the treatment to include meson exchange current operators. We focus on one-particle emission electronuclear reactions. In contrast to the traditional scheme where approximations are made for the transferred momentum, transferred energy and momenta of the initial-state struck nucleons, we treat the problem exactly for the transferred energy and momentum, thus obtaining new current operators which retain important aspects of relativity not taken into account in the traditional non-relativistic reductions. We calculate the matrix elements of our current operators between the Fermi sphere and a particle-hole state for several choices of kinematics. We present a comparison between our results using approximate current operators and those obtained using the fully-relativistic operators, as well as with results obtained using the traditional non-relativistic current operators.Comment: LaTeX, 31 pages, 7 Postscript figures, to be published in Nucl. Phys.

Superscaling analysis of the Coulomb Sum Rule in quasielastic electron-nucleus scattering

The Coulomb sum rule for inclusive quasielastic electron scattering in $^{12}$C, $^{40}$Ca and $^{56}$Fe is analyzed based on scaling and superscaling properties. Results obtained in the relativistic impulse approximation with various descriptions of the final state interactions are shown. A comparison with experimental data measured at Bates and Saclay is provided. The theoretical description based on strong scalar and vector terms present in the relativistic mean field, which has been shown to reproduce the experimental asymmetric superscaling function, leads to results that are in fair agreement with Bates data while it sizeably overestimates Saclay data. We find that the Coulomb sum rule for a momentum transfer $q\geq 500$ $MeV/c$ saturates to a value close to 0.9, being very similar for the three nuclear systems considered. This is in accordance with Bates data, which indicates that these show no significative quenching in the longitudinal response.Comment: 22 pages, 6 figures. To be published in Phys. Lett.

Skewed recoil polarization in (e,e'p) reactions from polarized nuclei

The general formalism describing $\vec{A}(\vec{e},e'\vec{p})B$ reactions, involving polarization of the electron beam, target and ejected proton, is presented within the framework of the relativistic plane wave impulse approximation for medium and heavy nuclei. It is shown that the simultaneous measurement of the target and ejected proton polarization can provide new information which is not contained in the separate analysis of the $\vec{A}(\vec{e},e'p)B$ and $A(\vec{e},e'\vec{p})B$ reactions. The polarization transfer mechanism in which the electron interacts with the initial nucleon carrying the target polarization, making the proton exit with a fractional polarization in a different direction, is referred to here as ``skewed polarization''. The new observables characterizing the process are identified, and written in terms of polarized response functions and asymmetries which are of tensor nature. The corresponding half-off-shell single-nucleon responses are analyzed using different prescriptions for the electromagnetic vertex and for different kinematics. Numerical predictions are presented for selected perpendicular and parallel kinematics in the case of $^{39}$K as polarized target.Comment: 30 pages, 8 figure

Relativistic pionic effects in quasielastic electron scattering

The impact of relativistic pionic correlations and meson-exchange currents on the response functions for electromagnetic quasielastic electron scattering from nuclei is studied in detail. Results in first-order perturbation theory are obtained for one-particle emission electronuclear reactions within the context of the relativistic Fermi gas model. Improving upon previous analyses where non-relativistic reductions of the currents were performed, here a fully relativistic analysis in which both forces and currents are treated consistently is presented. Lorentz covariance is shown to play a crucial role in enforcing the gauge invariance of the theory. Effects stemming uniquely from relativity in the pionic correlations are identified and, in particular, a comprehensive study of the self-energy contributions and of the currents associated with the pion is presented. First- and second-kind scaling for high momentum transfer is investigated.Comment: 43 pages, 21 figure

Meson Exchange Currents in (e,e'p) recoil polarization observables

A study of the effects of meson-exchange currents and isobar configurations in $A(\vec{e},e'\vec{p})B$ reactions is presented. We use a distorted wave impulse approximation (DWIA) model where final-state interactions are treated through a phenomenological optical potential. The model includes relativistic corrections in the kinematics and in the electromagnetic one- and two-body currents. The full set of polarized response functions is analyzed, as well as the transferred polarization asymmetry. Results are presented for proton knock-out from closed-shell nuclei, for moderate to high momentum transfer.Comment: 44 pages, 18 figures. Added physical arguments explaining the dominance of OB over MEC, and a summary of differences with previous MEC calculations. To be published in PR

Polarized Deformed Nuclei Studied via Coincidence Polarized Electron Scattering: The case of 21 Ne

Coincidence reactions of the type \svec{A}(\svec{e},e'N)B involving the scattering of polarized electrons from deformed polarized targets are discussed within the context of the plane--wave impulse approximation. A general expression for the polarized spectral function for transitions leaving the residual nucleus in discrete states is presented. General properties and angular symmetries exhibited by the polarization observables are discussed in detail. Results for unpolarized cross sections as well as for polarization ratios (asymmetries) are obtained for typical quasi--free kinematics. The dependences of the polarization observables on the bound neutron momentum, target polarization orientation, nuclear deformation and value of the momentum transfer $q$ are discussed in detail for various different kinematical situations.Comment: 37 pages in Plain TeX, MIT-CTP-209

Relativistic corrections in (gamma,N) knockout reactions

We develop a fully relativistic DWIA model for photonuclear reactions using the relativistic mean field theory for the bound state and the Pauli reduction of the scattering state which is calculated from a relativistic optical potential. Results for the 12C(gamma,p) and 16O(gamma,p) differential cross sections and photon asymmetries are displayed in a photon energy range between 60 and 257 MeV, and compared with nonrelativistic DWIA calculations. The effects of the spinor distortion and of the effective momentum approximation for the scattering state are discussed. The sensitivity of the model to different prescriptions for the one-body current operator is investigated. The off-shell ambiguities are large in (gamma,p) calculations, and even larger in (gamma,n) knockout.Comment: LaTeX2e, 18 pages, and 6 figure

Spectroscopic Factors in 40^{40}Ca and 208^{208}Pb from (e,e′p)(e,e'p): Fully Relativistic Analysis

We present results for spectroscopic factors of the outermost shells in $^{40}$Ca and $^{208}$Pb, which have been derived from the comparison between the available quasielastic ($e,e'p$) data from NIKHEF-K and the corresponding calculated cross-sections obtained within a fully relativistic formalism. We include exactly the effect of Coulomb distortion on the electron wave functions and discuss its role in the extraction of the spectroscopic factors from experiment. Without any adjustable parameter, we find spectroscopic factors of about 70\%, consistent with theoretical predictions. We compare our results with previous relativistic and nonrelativistic analyses of ($e,e'p$) data. In addition to Coulomb distortion effects we discuss different choices of the nucleon current operator and also analyze the effects due to the relativistic treatment of the outgoing-distorted and bound nucleon wave functions.Comment: 9 pages RevTeX, 5 figures can be obtained from the author

Parity Violation in Elastic Electron-Nucleon Scattering: Strangeness Content in the Nucleon

Parity violation in elastic electron-nucleon scattering is studied with the basic goal of improving the understanding of electroweak hadronic structure with special emphasis on the strangeness content in the nucleon. Models for the parity-violating (PV) asymmetry are provided and compared with the world data measured at very different kinematics. The effects introduced in the PV asymmetry due to alternative descriptions of the hadronic structure are analyzed in detail. In particular, a wide selection of prescriptions for dealing with the electromagnetic and neutral current weak interaction nucleon form factors, including the most recent ones used in the literature, is considered.Comment: 73 pages, 20 figures. To be published in Physics Report