Dominance of Tensor Correlations in High-Momentum Nucleon Pairs Studied by (p,pd) Reaction

Phys Rev Lett. 2018 Dec 14;121(24):242501. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.121.242501.

Abstract

The isospin character of p-n pairs at large relative momentum has been observed for the first time in the ^{16}O ground state. A strong population of the J,T=1,0 state and a very weak population of the J,T=0,1 state were observed in the neutron pickup domain of ^{16}O(p,pd) at 392 MeV. This strong isospin dependence at large momentum transfer is not reproduced by the distorted-wave impulse approximation calculations with known spectroscopic amplitudes. The results indicate the presence of high-momentum protons and neutrons induced by the tensor interactions in the ground state of ^{16}O.