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Full weak-charge density distribution of Ca48 from parity-violating electron scattering

Z. Lin and C. J. Horowitz
Phys. Rev. C 92, 014313 – Published 20 July 2015

Abstract

Background: The ground state neutron density of a medium mass nucleus contains fundamental nuclear structure information and is at present relatively poorly known.

Purpose: We explore if parity violating elastic electron scattering can provide a feasible and model independent way to determine not just the neutron radius but the full radial shape of the neutron density ρn(r) and the weak charge density ρW(r) of a nucleus.

Methods: We expand the weak charge density of Ca48 in a model independent Fourier Bessel series and calculate the statistical errors in the individual coefficients that might be obtainable in a model parity violating electron scattering experiment.

Results: We find that it is feasible to determine roughly six Fourier Bessel coefficients of the weak charge density of Ca48 within a reasonable amount of beam time. However, it would likely be much harder to determine the full weak density of a significantly heavier nucleus such as Pb208.

Conclusions: Parity violating elastic electron scattering can determine the full weak charge density of a medium mass nucleus in a model independent way. This weak density contains fundamental information on the size, surface thickness, shell oscillations, and saturation density of the neutron distribution in a nucleus. The measured ρW(r), combined with the previously known charge density ρch(r), will literally provide a detailed textbook picture of where the neutrons and protons are located in an atomic nucleus.

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  • Received 25 May 2015

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevC.92.014313

©2015 American Physical Society

Authors & Affiliations

Z. Lin and C. J. Horowitz

  • Center for the Exploration of Energy and Matter and Department of Physics, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana 47405, USA

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Issue

Vol. 92, Iss. 1 — July 2015

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