Inclusive Scattering and FSI in Nuclear Matter

Abstract

The dynamical response and the cross section for inclusive scattering of electrons by nuclear matter are calculated at intermediate and high momentum transfers, using correlated basis function theory. Particular emphasis is placed on the effects of the final state interactions. By comparing the plane wave impulse approximation with the full response at q ≃ 1 GeV/c, large contributions from final state interactions are found at the quasielastic peak, whereas, at higher momentum transfers, their contribution is located mainly in the low energy tails. For relativistic electrons, the inclusive cross section is computed by using a microscopic spectral function and final state interactions are introduced via correlated Glauber theory. The results are compared with recent empirical data, on nuclear matter. The cross section obtained within plane wave impulse approximation is close to the observed data at large values of the energy loss, but it is too small at low values. After including final state interactions effects, the theory is in fair agreement with the data.