n-p short range correlations from (p,2p + n) measurements

Jun, 2002
4 pages
Published in:
  • Phys.Rev.Lett. 90 (2003) 042301
e-Print:
Report number:
  • KSU-CNR-202-07

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Abstract:
We studied the 12^{12}C(p,2p+n) reaction at beam momenta of 5.9, 8.0 and 9.0 GeV/c. For quasielastic (p,2p) events we reconstructed {\bf p_f} the momentum of the knocked-out proton before the reaction: {\bf p_f} was then compared (event-by-event) with {\bf p_n}, the measured, coincident neutron momentum. For pn|p_n| > kF_F = 0.220 GeV/c (the Fermi momentum) a strong back-to-back directional correlation between {\bf p_f} and {\bf p_n} was observed, indicative of short-range n-p correlations. From {\bf p_n} and {\bf p_f} we constructed the distributions of c.m. and relative motion in the longitudinal direction for correlated pairs. After correcting for detection efficiency, flux attenuation and solid angle, we determined that 49 ±\pm 13 % of events with pf|p_f| > k_F had directionally correlated neutrons with pn|p_n| > kF_F. Thus short-range 2N correlations are a major source of high-momentum nucleons in nuclei.
  • p nucleus: nuclear reaction
  • carbon
  • nucleon: multiple production
  • angular correlation
  • p n: correlation function
  • correlation: short-range
  • magnetic spectrometer: experimental results
  • Brookhaven PS
  • p carbon --> n 2p anything
  • 5.9: 8.0: 9.0 GeV/c