Inclusive scattering of electrons from nuclear matter in the few GeV range

Abstract

We study Final State Interaction effects (FSI) in inclusive electron scattering of several GeV from nuclear matter. We consider separately the cases of 'elastic' and 'inelastic' knockout of respectively a nucleon and a non-nucleonic particle. For the former category FSI have been calculated, using the first cumulant approximation of a relativistic generalization of the theory of Gersch et al, including intermediate NN states states with produced hadrons. We also discuss a formal expression for the first cumulant approximation on the basis of the PWIA. FSI between an inelasticlly knocked-out particle and core nucleons are neglected. We present two scaling analyses of the data, from which the above 'inelastic' contributions have been been removed. The data expressed in a relativistic West variable show scaling of a much better quality than the same in the IA scaling variable. Predictions for inclusive cross sections in the two first cumulant versions are presented and discussed. We make a critical comparison of the above with the IA approach of Benhar et al and their results.