We present new data probing short-range correlations (SRCs) in nuclei through the measurement of electron scattering off high-momentum nucleons in nuclei. The inclusive He4/He3 cross section ratio is observed to be both x and Q2 independent for 1.52, our data support the hypothesis that a previous claim of three-nucleon correlation dominance was an artifact caused by the limited resolution of the measurement. While 3N-SRCs appear to have an important contribution, our data show that isolating 3N-SRCs is significantly more complicated than for 2N-SRCs.

Short-range correlations (SRCs) have been identified as being responsible for the high-momentum tail of the nucleon momentum distribution, n(k). Hard, short-range interactions of nucleon pairs generate the high-momentum tail and imprint a universal character on n(k) for all nuclei at large momentum. Triple coincidence experiments have shown a strong dominance of np pairs, but these measurements involve large final-state interactions. This paper presents the results from Jefferson Lab experiment E08014 which measured inclusive electron scattering cross section from Ca isotopes. By comparing the inclusive cross section from Ca48 to Ca40 in a kinematic region dominated by SRCs we provide a new way to study the isospin structure of SRCs.

Experimental cross sections for the $^4He(e,e'p)X$ reaction up to a missing momentum of 0.632 GeV/$c$ at $x_B=1.24$ and $Q^2$=2(GeV/$c$)$^2$ are reported. The data are compared to Relativistic Distorted Wave Impulse Approximation(RDWIA) calculations for $^4He(e,e'p)^3H$ channel. Significantly more events in the triton mass region are measured for $p_{m}$$>$0.45 GeV/$c$ than are predicted by the theoretical model, suggesting that the effects of initial-state multi-nucleon correlations are stronger than expected by the RDWIA model.

Experimental cross sections for the He4(e,e′p)X reactions in the missing energy range from 0.017 to 0.022 GeV and up to a missing momentum of 0.632 GeV/c at xB=1.24 and Q2=2 (GeV/c)2 are reported. The data are compared to relativistic distorted-wave impulse approximation calculations for the He4(e,e′p)H3 channel. Significantly more events are observed for pm≥0.45 GeV/c than are predicted by the theoretical model, and striking fluctuations in the ratio of data to the theoretical model around pm=0.3GeV/c are possible signals of initial-state multinucleon correlations.

We report on new measurements at the resonance at the low momentum transfer region, where the mesonic cloud dynamics is predicted to be dominant and rapidly changing, offering a test bed for chiral effective field theory calculations. The new data explore the dependence of the resonant quadrupole amplitudes and for the first time indicate that the Electric and the Coulomb quadrupole amplitudes converge as. The measurements of the Coulomb quadrupole amplitude have been extended to the lowest momentum transfer ever reached, and suggest that more than half of its magnitude is attributed to the mesonic cloud in this region. The new data disagree with predictions of constituent quark models and are in reasonable agreement with dynamical calculations that include pion cloud effects, chiral effective field theory and lattice calculations. The measurements indicate that improvement is required to the theoretical calculations and provide valuable input that will allow their refinements.