Study of the quasielastic ³He(e,e'p) reaction at Q² = 1.5 (GeV/c)² up to missing momenta of 1 GeV/c

Abstract

As a part of the E89044 experiment at Hall A of Jefferson Lab, we have studied the quasielastic ³He(e,e'p) reaction in perpendicular coplanar kinematics, with energy and momentum transfer by the electron fixed at 837 MeV and 1500 MeV/c respectively, at three beam energies of 1255, 1954 and 4807 MeV. ³He(e,e'p)D and ³He(e,e'p)pn cross sections and distorted spectral functions were measured up to missing momenta of 1000 MeV/c, and, for the three-body breakup channel, up to missing energy of 30 MeV. The A[sub]TL asymmetry, R[sub]T and R[sub]TL response functions, and the combination R[sub]L + R[sub]TT V[sub]TT/V[sub]L of response functions were separated for the ³He(e,e'p)D reaction channel up to missing momenta of 550 MeV/c. In the low missing momentum regime, measured ³He(e,e'p)D cross sections agree with available calculations based on variational ground state wave functions, and disagree with calculations based on Faddeev-type ground state wave functions. missing momenta from 100 to 740 MeV/c, strong final state interaction effects, in general consistent with Glauber-type and diagrammatic calculations, are observed. On a finer detail, meson exchange currents, isobaric currents and dynamical relativistic effects might be isolated with further theoretical work, in view of remaining disagreements between available calculations and the measurements. For missing momenta from 740 to 1000 MeV/c, measured ³He(e,e'p)D cross sections are more than an order of magnitude greater than predicted by available theories. Further theoretical work is needed for understanding the nature of processes in this region.