Spin-dependent correlations and the semi-exclusive ^{16}O(e,e'p) reaction

Abstract

The effect of central, tensor and spin-isospin nucleon-nucleon correlations upon semi-exclusive ^{16}O(e,e'p) reactions is studied for Q^2 and Bjorken x values in the range $0.2 \lesssim Q^2 \lesssim 1.1 (GeV/c)^2$ and 0.15 $\lesssim$ x $\lesssim$ 2. The fully unfactorized calculations are performed in a framework that accounts not only for the dynamical coupling of virtual photons to correlated nucleon pairs but also for meson-exchange and $\Delta_{33}$-isobar currents. Tensor correlations are observed to produce substantially larger amounts of semi-exclusive ^{16}O(e,e'p) strength than central correlations do and are predominantly manifest in the proton-neutron knockout channel. With the exception of the $x \approx 2$ case, in all kinematical situations studied the meson-exchange and isobar currents are a strong source of A(e,e'p) strength at deep missing energies. This feature gives the A(e,e'p) strength at deep missing energies a pronounced transverse character.