No Arabic abstract
We present a feasibility study of a simultaneous sub-percent extraction of the weak charge and the weak radius of the ${}^{12}$C nucleus using parity-violating electron scattering, based on a largely model-independent assessment of the uncertainties. The corresponding measurement is considered to be carried out at the future MESA facility in Mainz with $E_{rm beam} = 155$ MeV. We find that a combination of a $0.3%$ precise measurement of the parity-violating asymmetry at forward angles with a $10%$ measurement at backward angles will allow to determine the weak charge and the weak radius of ${}^{12}$C with $0.4%$ and $0.5%$ precision, respectively. These values could be improved to $0.3%$ and $0.2%$ for a $3%$ backward measurement. This experimental program will have impact on precision low-energy tests in the electroweak sector and nuclear structure.
The weak charge of the proton determines its coupling to the $Z^0$ boson. The distribution of weak charge is found to be dramatically different from the distribution of electric charge. The protons weak radius $R_W= 1.545pm 0.017$ fm is 80% larger than its charge radius $R_{ch}approx 0.84$ fm because of a very large pion cloud contribution. This large weak radius can be measured with parity violating electron scattering and may provide insight into the structure of the proton, various radiative corrections, and possible strange quark contributions.
Multiple high precision $beta$-decay measurements are being carried out these days on various nuclei, in search of beyond the Standard Model signatures. These measurements necessitate accurate standard model theoretical predictions to be compared with. Motivated by the experimental surge, we present a formalism for such a calculation of $beta$-decay observables, with controlled accuracy, based on a perturbative analysis of the theoretical observables related to the phenomena, including high order nuclear recoil and shape corrections. The accuracy of the corrections is analyzed by identifying a hierarchy of small parameters, related to the low momentum transfer characterizing $beta$-decays. Furthermore, we show that the sub-percent uncertainties, targeted by on-going and planned experiments, entail an accuracy of the order of 10% for the solution of the nuclear many body problem, which is well within the reach of modern nuclear theory for light to medium mass nuclei.
In a series of recent publications, different authors produce a wide range of electron radii when reanalyzing electron proton scattering data. In the light of the proton radius puzzle, this is a most unfortunate situation. However, we find flaws in most analyses that result in radii around 0.84 fm. In this paper, we explain our reasoning and try to illustrate the most common pitfalls.
We use distorted wave electron scattering calculations to extract the weak charge form factor F_W(q), the weak charge radius R_W, and the point neutron radius R_n, of 208Pb from the PREX parity violating asymmetry measurement. The form factor is the Fourier transform of the weak charge density at the average momentum transfer q=0.475 fm$^{-1}$. We find F_W(q) =0.204 pm 0.028 (exp) pm 0.001 (model). We use the Helm model to infer the weak radius from F_W(q). We find R_W= 5.826 pm 0.181 (exp) pm 0.027 (model) fm. Here the exp error includes PREX statistical and systematic errors, while the model error describes the uncertainty in R_W from uncertainties in the surface thickness sigma of the weak charge density. The weak radius is larger than the charge radius, implying a weak charge skin where the surface region is relatively enriched in weak charges compared to (electromagnetic) charges. We extract the point neutron radius R_n=5.751 pm 0.175 (exp) pm 0.026 (model) pm 0.005 (strange) fm$, from R_W. Here there is only a very small error (strange) from possible strange quark contributions. We find R_n to be slightly smaller than R_W because of the nucleons size. Finally, we find a neutron skin thickness of R_n-R_p=0.302pm 0.175 (exp) pm 0.026 (model) pm 0.005 (strange) fm, where R_p is the point proton radius.
It is suggested that proton elastic scattering on atomic electrons allows a precise measurement of the proton charge radius. Very small values of transferred momenta (up to four order of magnitude smaller than the ones presently available) can be reached with high probability.