Signatures of Three-Nucleon Correlations in Nuclei

Three Nucleon (3N) Short Range Correlations (SRCs) have been the focus of some interest as it is anticipated that, within specific kinematics, these elusive configurations of the nuclear ground state might be detected through inclusive electron scattering. We present the kinematic requirements to be satisfied in order to isolate 3N-SRCs in inclusive processes and demonstrate that a sequence of two short-range NN interactions is the principal mechanism of production. Within this blueprint, we are able to predict that the per-nucleon inclusive cross section ratios, 3/A σA/σ3He, in the 3N-SRC region go as the square of the same ratio where 2N-SRCs are known to dominate.

Through a re-analysis of data at the edge of the kinematic domain necessary, we have found signatures of the scaling associated with the onset of 3N-SRCs. These data affirm our prediction of the quadratic relation between the ratios measured in the 3N and 2N-SRC regions for nuclei ranging 4≤ A ≤197. We are able to extract a3(A), the probability of 3N-SRCs in nucleus A relative to 3He. We find that a3(A) is significantly larger than the related function, a2(A), for 2N-SRCs.

In collaboration with: Misak Sargsian, Florida International University; Mark Strikman, Pennsylvania State University; Leonid Frankfurt, Tel Aviv University