Nuclear Transition Density Determinations from Inelastic Electron Scattering

Abstract

The determination of nuclear charge distributions through elastic electron scattering is well known and has been the subject of several articles and review articles. (See Refs. 1–3, etc.) Inelastic electron scattering by its nature is very similar: It allows the determination of some dynamical properties of the nucleus. These are the transition charge or current densities which represent the changes in the charges or the currents associated with the transition of the nucleus from the initial state to the final state. These transition charge or current densities are the same as those that cause the y transitions between these states or that allow the nucleus to be excited by the Coulomb field of a passing heavy ion. Thus electron scattering is not an isolated field, rather it provides additional information on these densities which, combined with the results from other electromagnetic probes, can be used for a more complete determination of the transition properties.