Inclusive electron scattering from nuclei: y-scaling and final state interaction

Abstract

The recent TJLAB experimental data on inclusive electron scattering at high momentum transfer from complex nuclei are analyzed in terms of y-scaling, taking into account the final state interaction (FSI) of the struck, off-shell nucleon. It is shown that at large negative values of y (x>1), the Q^2 dependence of the FSI is mostly driven by the elastic nucleon-nucleon cross section, and that, as a result, the scaling function decreases with Q^2, in agreement with experimental data.

18 pages, RevTeX Preprint style, 8 eps figures included