What electron scattering data tell us about nuclear models used in neutrino interactions

Electrons and neutrinos probe nuclei in a very similar manner. Referring to the results of Phys. Rev. D 91, 033005 (2015), I am going to argue that the availability of precise data for electron scattering gives us, therefore, a unique opportunity to test nuclear models employed in neutrino scattering.  At the kinematics where the impulse approximation is valid---the interaction  between the beam particle and the nucleus can be described as involving a single nucleon with the remaining (A-1) nucleons acting as spectators---comparisons to electron quasielastic scattering data validate the description of the ground-state properties of the nuclear target. At higher energy transfers, such tests expose problems related to the description of pion production. As inaccuracies observed in electron scattering affect predictions for neutrino scattering, they have important consequences for neutrino-oscillation results.