Gep/Gmp for bound protons: first results for 16O with the recoil polarization technique

Abstract

The first (e,e'p) polarization transfer measurements on a nucleus heavier than deuterium have been carried out at Jefferson Laboratory. Transverse and longitudinal components of the polarization of protons ejected in the reaction 16O(e,e'p) were measured in quasielastic perpendicular kinematics at a Q^2 of 0.8 (GeV/c)^2. The data are in good agreement with state of the art calculations, but do not exclude possible changes in the ratio of the electric to magnetic form factors of the nucleon in the nuclear medium at the level of recent theoretical predictions.