Short range correlations in nuclei

Abstract

Studying nucleon-nucleon (NN) correlated pairs will teach us a great deal about the high momentum part of the nuclear wave function, the short range part of the NN interaction, and the nature of cold dense nuclear matter. These correlations are similar in all nuclei, differing only in magnitude. High momentum nucleons, p > pfermi, all have a correlated partner with approximately equal and opposite momentum.At pair relative momenta of 300 < prel < 500 MeV/c, these correlated pairs are dominated by tensor correlations. This is shown by the dominance of pn over pp pairs at pair total momentum and by the parity of pn to pp pairs at large pair total momentum.