Quasielastic knock-out of clusters by electrons and nuclear restructuring effects

Abstract

The general microscopic formalism is presented for the description of the quasielastic knock-out of $\ensuremath{\alpha}$ clusters from p-shell nuclei by ultrarelativistic electrons. Manifestations of nuclear structure in differential cross sections and angular distributions are studied. The typical ${}^{12}\mathrm{C}{(e,e}^{\ensuremath{'}}\ensuremath{\alpha}{)}^{8}\mathrm{Be}$ reaction is considered in the PWIA and DWIA approximations; particular attention is paid to the effects of virtually excited cluster states inside the initial nucleus. Suggestions for the observation of nuclear restructuring effects (interplay between diagonal and off-diagonal transitions with respect to the intrinsic state of the cluster) are proposed.