Atomic nuclei are held together by the strong nuclear force acting between protons and neutrons (nucleons). While the long range, averaged part of this force is well described by the nuclear shell model, the short-range and tensor components create a fascinating substructure: pairs of nucleons that momentarily approach each other very closely, acquiring large relative momenta. These short-range correlated (SRC) pairs account for roughly 20

Short range correlated (SRC) N N pairs are pairs of nucleons with high relative momentum (prel > kF where kF 250 MeV/c is the Fermi momentum in medium to heavy nuclei) and lower center of mass momentum. The motivation for studying SRC pairs ranges from a desire to achieve a more comprehensive understanding of the many-body nuclear wave-function at high-resolution to searching for explicit QCD-dynamics effects within the nuclear medium, not to mention connections to many other open problems in nuclear physics. Exploring short-range correlations was one of the physics motivations for building CEBAF (now Jefferson Lab). Scientists used the high luminosity and high energy of this cutting-edge machine to find kinematics that cleanly showed the signals of short-range correlations. This paved the way in the last two decades for tremendous progress understanding these correlations. This paper reviews recent progress and highlights outstanding questions and areas that need further study.

Due to the similarities between electron-nucleus (eA) and neutrino-nucleus scattering (vA), eA data can contribute key information to improve cross-section modeling in eA and hence in vA event generators. However, to compare data and generated events, either the data must be radiatively corrected or radiative effects need to be included in the event generators. We implemented a universal radiative corrections program that can be used with all reaction mechanisms and any eA event generator. Our program includes real photon radiation by the incident and scattered electrons, and virtual photon exchange and photon vacuum polarization diagrams. It uses the "extended peaking" approximation for electron radiation and neglects charged hadron radiation. This method, validated with GENIE, can also be extended to simulate vA radiative effects. This work facilitates data-event- generator comparisons used to improve vA event generators for the next-generation of neutrino experiments. Program summary Program Title: emMCRadCorr CPC Library link to program files: https://doi.org/10.17632/hmsxg82vnf.1 Developer's repository link: https://github.com/e4nu/emMCRadCorr Licensing provisions: AGPLv3 Programming language: C++ Nature of problem: Radiative effects can significantly modify the event kinematics and the resulting cross-sections. Such effects must be accounted for when comparing event generators to eA data. Existing radiative correction codes are tailored to specific processes and topologies, and are limited to a restricted phase space defined by the spectrometer acceptance. Therefore, a more general approach is required to apply radiative corrections to semi-inclusive and exclusive eA measurements. Solution method: Our program incorporates real photon radiation from both the incident and scattered electrons, as well as virtual photon exchange and photon vacuum polarization effects. It employs the "extended peaking" approximation for electron radiation while neglecting contributions from charged hadron radiation. The code is fully decoupled from event generator codes and can be used for all event generators in the market.

This White Paper presents an overview of the current status and future perspective of QCD research, based on the community inputs and scientific conclusions from the 2022 Hot and Cold QCD Town Meeting. We present the progress made in the last decade toward a deep understanding of both the fundamental structure of the sub-atomic matter of nucleon and nucleus in cold QCD, and the hot QCD matter in heavy ion collisions. We identify key questions of QCD research and plausible paths to obtaining answers to those questions in the near future, hence defining priorities of our research over the coming decades.

We study the relation between measured high-$x_B$, high-$Q^2$, Helium-3 to Tritium, $(e,e')$ inclusive-scattering cross-section ratios and the relative abundance of high-momentum neutron-proton ($np$) and proton-proton ($pp$) short-range correlated (SRC) nucleon pairs in three-body ($A=3$) nuclei. Analysis of this data using a simple pair-counting cross-section model suggested a much smaller $np/pp$ ratio than previously measured in heavier nuclei, questioning our understanding of $A=3$ nuclei and, by extension, all other nuclei. Here we examine this finding using spectral-function-based cross-section calculations, with both an \textit{ab initio} $A=3$ spectral function and effective Generalized Contact Formalism (GCF) spectral functions using different nucleon-nucleon interaction models. The \textit{ab initio} calculation agrees with the data, showing good understanding of the structure of $A=3$ nuclei. An 8\% uncertainty on the simple pair-counting model, as implied by the difference between it and the \textit{ab initio} calculation, gives a factor of 5 uncertainty in the extracted $np/pp$ ratio. Thus we see no evidence for the claimed ``unexpected structure in the high-momentum wavefunction for hydrogen-3 and helium-3''.

This document presents the initial scientific case for upgrading the Continuous Electron Beam Accelerator Facility (CEBAF) at Jefferson Lab (JLab) to 22 GeV. It is the result of a community effort, incorporating insights from a series of workshops conducted between March 2022 and April 2023. With a track record of over 25 years in delivering the world's most intense and precise multi-GeV electron beams, CEBAF's potential for a higher energy upgrade presents a unique opportunity for an innovative nuclear physics program, which seamlessly integrates a rich historical background with a promising future. The proposed physics program encompass a diverse range of investigations centered around the nonperturbative dynamics inherent in hadron structure and the exploration of strongly interacting systems. It builds upon the exceptional capabilities of CEBAF in high-luminosity operations, the availability of existing or planned Hall equipment, and recent advancements in accelerator technology. The proposed program cover various scientific topics, including Hadron Spectroscopy, Partonic Structure and Spin, Hadronization and Transverse Momentum, Spatial Structure, Mechanical Properties, Form Factors and Emergent Hadron Mass, Hadron-Quark Transition, and Nuclear Dynamics at Extreme Conditions, as well as QCD Confinement and Fundamental Symmetries. Each topic highlights the key measurements achievable at a 22 GeV CEBAF accelerator. Furthermore, this document outlines the significant physics outcomes and unique aspects of these programs that distinguish them from other existing or planned facilities. In summary, this document provides an exciting rationale for the energy upgrade of CEBAF to 22 GeV, outlining the transformative scientific potential that lies within reach, and the remarkable opportunities it offers for advancing our understanding of hadron physics and related fundamental phenomena.

The origin of the modification of the quark structure of nucleons in the nuclear medium can be tested with tagged recoil nucleon measurements from deep inelastic scattering off electrons on deuterium. The LAD experiment at the Thomas Jefferson National Laboratory (JLab) will measure the modification of the neutron structure function for high-momentum, highly-virtual neutrons by measuring the spectator recoil protons in coincidence with the scattered electron. An update on the experimental setup and projected results is presented. The experiment will collect data in Fall 2024.

We provide an overview of the status of Monte-Carlo event generators for high-energy particle physics. Guided by the experimental needs and requirements, we highlight areas of active development, and opportunities for future improvements. Particular emphasis is given to physics models and algorithms that are employed across a variety of experiments. These common themes in event generator development lead to a more comprehensive understanding of physics at the highest energies and intensities, and allow models to be tested against a wealth of data that have been accumulated over the past decades. A cohesive approach to event generator development will allow these models to be further improved and systematic uncertainties to be reduced, directly contributing to future experimental success. Event generators are part of a much larger ecosystem of computational tools. They typically involve a number of unknown model parameters that must be tuned to experimental data, while maintaining the integrity of the underlying physics models. Making both these data, and the analyses with which they have been obtained accessible to future users is an essential aspect of open science and data preservation. It ensures the consistency of physics models across a variety of experiments.

One of the most surprising discoveries made at Jefferson Lab has been the discrepancy in the determinations of the proton's form factor ratio $\mu_p G_E^p/G_M^p$ between unpolarized cross section measurements and the polarization transfer technique. Over two decades later, the discrepancy not only persists but has been confirmed at higher momentum transfers now accessible in the 12-GeV era. The leading hypothesis for the cause of this discrepancy, a non-negligible contribution from hard two-photon exchange, has neither been conclusively proven or disproven. This state of uncertainty not only clouds our knowledge of one-dimensional nucleon structure but also poses a major concern for our field's efforts to map out the three-dimensional nuclear structure. A better understanding of multi-photon exchange over a wide phase space is needed. We propose making comprehensive measurements of two-photon exchange over a wide range in momentum transfer and scattering angle using the CLAS12 detector. Specifically, we will measure the ratio of positron-proton to electron-proton elastic scattering cross sections, using the proposed positron beam upgrade for CEBAF. The experiment will use 2.2, 4.4, and 6.6 GeV lepton beams incident on the standard CLAS12 unpolarized hydrogen target. Data will be collected by the CLAS12 detector in its standard configuration, except for a modified trigger to allow the recording of events with beam leptons scattered into the CLAS12 central detector. The sign of the beam charge, as well as the polarity of the CLAS12 solenoid and toroid, will be reversed several times in order to suppress systematics associated with local detector efficiency and time-dependent detector performance. The proposed high-precision determination of two-photon effects will be...

We report results of Λ hyperon production in semi-inclusive deep-inelastic scattering off deuterium, carbon, iron, and lead targets obtained with the CLAS detector and the Continuous Electron Beam Accelerator Facility 5.014 GeV electron beam. These results represent the first measurements of the Λ multiplicity ratio and transverse momentum broadening as a function of the energy fraction (z) in the current and target fragmentation regions. The multiplicity ratio exhibits a strong suppression at high z and an enhancement at low z. The measured transverse momentum broadening is an order of magnitude greater than that seen for light mesons. This indicates that the propagating entity interacts very strongly with the nuclear medium, which suggests that propagation of diquark configurations in the nuclear medium takes place at least part of the time, even at high z. The trends of these results are qualitatively described by the Giessen Boltzmann-Uehling-Uhlenbeck transport model, particularly for the multiplicity ratios. These observations will potentially open a new era of studies of the structure of the nucleon as well as of strange baryons.

We report the first measurement of $x_B$-scaling in $(e,e'p)$ cross-section ratios off nuclei relative to deuterium at large missing-momentum of $350 \leq p_{miss} \leq 600$ MeV/c. The observed scaling extends over a kinematic range of $0.7 \leq x_B \leq 1.8$, which is significantly wider than $1.4 \leq x_B \leq 1.8$ previously observed for inclusive $(e,e')$ cross-section ratios. The $x_B$-integrated cross-section ratios become constant (i.e., scale) beginning at $p_{miss}\approx k_F$, the nuclear Fermi momentum. Comparing with theoretical calculations we find good agreement with Generalized Contact Formalism calculations for high missing-momentum ($> 375$ MeV/c), suggesting the observed scaling results from interacting with nucleons in short-range correlated (SRC) pairs. For low missing-momenta, mean-field calculations show good agreement with the data for $p_{miss}\le k_F$, and suggest that contributions to the measured cross-section ratios from scattering off single, un-correlated, nucleons are non-negligible up to $p_{miss}\approx 350$ MeV/c. Therefore, SRCs become dominant in nuclei at $p_{miss}\approx 350$ MeV/c, well above the nuclear Fermi Surface of $k_F \approx 250$ MeV/c.

The Heavy Photon Search experiment took its first data in a 2015 engineering run using a 1.056 GeV, 50 nA electron beam provided by CEBAF at the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility, searching for an electro-produced dark photon. Using 1.7 days (1170 nb$^{-1}$) of data, a search for a resonance in the $e^{+}e^{-}$ invariant mass distribution between 19 and 81 MeV/c$^{2}$ showed no evidence of dark photon decays above the large QED background, confirming earlier searches and demonstrating the full functionality of the experiment. Upper limits on the square of the coupling of the dark photon to the Standard Model photon are set at the level of 6$\times$10$^{-6}$. In addition, a search for displaced dark photon decays did not rule out any territory but resulted in a reliable analysis procedure that will probe hitherto unexplored parameter space with future, higher luminosity runs.

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.

S. Morán,1, 3 R. Dupre,2 H. Hakobyan,1, 52 M. Arratia,3 W.K. Brooks,1 A. Bórquez,1 A. El Alaoui,1 L. El Fassi,4, 5 K. Hafidi,5 R. Mendez,1 T. Mineeva,1 S.J. Paul,3 M.J. Amaryan,36 Giovanni Angelini,19 Whitney R. Armstrong,5 H. Atac,43 N.A. Baltzell,44 L. Barion,20 M. Bashkanov,49 M. Battaglieri,44, 22 I. Bedlinskiy,31 Fatiha Benmokhtar,14 A. Bianconi,46, 26 L. Biondo,22, 25, 47 A.S. Biselli,15, 8 F. Bossù,10 S. Boiarinov,44 W.J. Briscoe,19 D. Bulumulla,36 V.D. Burkert,44 D.S. Carman,44 P. Chatagnon,2 V. Chesnokov,41 T. Chetry,4 G. Ciullo,20, 16 P.L. Cole,30, 9, 44 M. Contalbrigo,20 G. Costantini,46, 26 A. D’Angelo,23, 40 N. Dashyan,52 R. De Vita,22 M. Defurne,10 A. Deur,44 S. Diehl,37, 12 C. Djalali,35, 42 H. Egiyan,44 L. Elouadrhiri,44 P. Eugenio,18 R. Fersch,11, 51 A. Filippi,24 G. Gavalian,44, 32 Y. Ghandilyan,52 G.P. Gilfoyle,39 A.A. Golubenko,41 R.W. Gothe,42 K.A. Griffioen,51 M. Guidal,2 M. Hattawy,36 F. Hauenstein,36 T.B. Hayward,12 D. Heddle,11, 44 K. Hicks,35 A. Hobart,2 M. Holtrop,32 Y. Ilieva,42 D.G. Ireland,48 E.L. Isupov,41 H.S. Jo,29 D. Keller,50 A. Khanal,17 M. Khandaker,34, ∗ W. Kim,29 F.J. Klein,9 A. Kripko,37 V. Kubarovsky,44, 38 S.E. Kuhn,36 L. Lanza,23 M. Leali,46, 26 P. Lenisa,20, 16 K. Livingston,48 I .J .D. MacGregor,48 D. Marchand,2 L. Marsicano,22 V. Mascagna,45, 26 B. McKinnon,48 C. McLauchlin,42 Z.E. Meziani,5 S. Migliorati,46, 26 M. Mirazita,21 V. Mokeev,44, 41 C. Munoz Camacho,2 P. Nadel-Turonski,44 K. Neupane,42 S. Niccolai,2 G. Niculescu,28 T. R. O’Connell,12 M. Osipenko,22 A.I. Ostrovidov,18 M. Ouillon,2 P. Pandey,36 M. Paolone,33 L.L. Pappalardo,20, 16 E. Pasyuk,44 W. Phelps,11, 19 O. Pogorelko,31 J. Poudel,36 J.W. Price,6 Y. Prok,36, 50 B.A. Raue,17 Trevor Reed,17 M. Ripani,22 J. Ritman,27 A. Rizzo,23, 40 G. Rosner,48 J. Rowley,35 F. Sabatié,10 C. Salgado,34 A. Schmidt,19 R.A. Schumacher,8 Y.G. Sharabian,44 E.V. Shirokov,41 U. Shrestha,12 D. Sokhan,10, 48 O. Soto,21 N. Sparveris,43 S. Stepanyan,44 I.I. Strakovsky,19 S. Strauch,42, 19 R. Tyson,48 M. Ungaro,44, 38 L. Venturelli,46, 26 H. Voskanyan,52 A. Vossen,13, 44 E. Voutier,2 D.P. Watts,49 Kevin Wei,12 X. Wei,44 L.B. Weinstein,36 R. Wishart,48 M.H. Wood,7, 42 B. Yale,51 N. Zachariou,49 J. Zhang,50 and Z.W. Zhao13

Short range correlated nucleon-nucleon (NN) pairs are an important part of the nuclear ground state. They are typically studied by scattering an electron from one nucleon in the pair and detecting its spectator correlated partner ("spectator-nucleon tagging"). The Electron Ion Collider (EIC) should be able to detect these nucleons, since they are boosted to high momentum in the lab frame by the momentum of the ion beam. To determine the feasibility of these studies with the planned EIC detector configuration, we have simulated quasi-elastic scattering for two electron and ion beam energy configurations: 5 GeV e^- and 41 GeV/A ions, and 10 GeV e^- and 110 GeV/A ions. We show that the knocked-out and recoiling nucleons can be detected over a wide range of initial nucleon momenta. We also show that these measurements can achieve much larger momentum transfers than current fixed target experiments. By detecting both low and high initial-momentum nucleons, the EIC will provide the data that should allow scientists to definitively show if the EMC effect and short-range correlation are connected, and to improve our understanding of color transparency.

We introduce a new experimental effort at Jefferson Lab (JLab) to precisely measure the ratios of charged pion electroproduction in Semi-Inclusive Deep Inelastic Scattering (SIDIS) from $^2$D, $^3$He, and $^3$H targets \cite{c12-21-004}. This conditionally approved experiment (C12-21-004) aims to run in Hall-B using the standard CLAS12 configuration and a new target system developed for the approved quasi-elastic experiment (E12-20-005). In this data-driven study, we will measure the cross-sections as a function of ($x$, $Q^2$, $z$, $P_T$) to allow the extraction of the unpolarized parton distribution functions (PDFs), transverse momentum distributions (TMDs) and fragmentation functions (FFs) in A = 3 nuclei. By using super-ratios of pion yields of SIDIS off light nuclei over a wide $x_B$ range, we search for evidence of a flavor dependence in the EMC effect, giving us new insights into the effect of the nuclear environment on valance quarks. Double-ratios between A = 3 mirror nuclei can provide a direct measurement of the d/u ratios at large x due to their similar and well-understood nuclear corrections. With the utilization of mirror nuclei and the large kinematic range, and high precision of CLAS12, we will be able to maintain the sensitivity to the underlying physics but dramatically decrease the nuclear uncertainties due to attenuation and hadronization in heavy nuclei targets.

Experimental cross sections for the $^{4}\mathrm{He}(e,{e}^{\ensuremath{'}}p)X$ 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 ${x}_{B}=1.24$ and ${Q}^{2}=2$ (GeV/${c)}^{2}$ are reported. The data are compared to relativistic distorted-wave impulse approximation calculations for the $^{4}\mathrm{He}(e,{e}^{\ensuremath{'}}p)^{3}\mathrm{H}$ channel. Significantly more events are observed for ${p}_{m}\ensuremath{\ge}0.45$ GeV/$c$ than are predicted by the theoretical model, and striking fluctuations in the ratio of data to the theoretical model around ${p}_{m}=0.3\phantom{\rule{3.33333pt}{0ex}}\mathrm{GeV}$/$c$ are possible signals of initial-state multinucleon correlations.

N. Liyanage, B. D. Anderson, K. A. Aniol, L. Auerbach, F. T. Baker, J. Berthot, W. Bertozzi, P. -Y. Bertin, L. Bimbot, W. U. Boeglin, E. J. Brash, V. Breton, H. Breuer, E. Burtin, J. R. Calarco, L. Cardman, G. D. Cates, C. Cavata, C. C. Chang, J. -P. Chen, E. Cisbani, D. S. Dale, R. De Leo, A. Deur, B. Diederich, P. Djawotho, J. Domingo, B. Doyle, J. -E. Ducret, M. B. Epstein, L. A. Ewell, J. M. Finn, K. G. Fissum, H. Fonvieille, B. Frois, S. Frullani, J. Gao, F. Garibaldi, A. Gasparian, S. Gilad, R. Gilman, A. Glamazdin, C. Glashausser, J. Gomez, V. Gorbenko, T. Gorringe, F. W. Hersman, R. Holmes, M. Holtrop, N. d’Hose, C. Howell, G. M. Huber, C. E. Hyde-Wright, M. Iodice, C. W. de Jager, S. Jaminion, M. K. Jones, K. Joo, C. Jutier, W. Kahl, S. Kato, J. J. Kelly, S. Kerhoas, M. Khandaker, M. Khayat, K. Kino, W. Korsch, L. Kramer, K. S. Kumar, G. Kumbartzki, G. Laveissière, A. Leone, J. J. LeRose, L. Levchuk, M. Liang, R. A. Lindgren, G. J. Lolos, R. W. Lourie, R. Madey, K. Maeda, S. Malov, D. M. Manley, D. J. Margaziotis P. Markowitz, J. Martino, J. S. McCarthy, K. McCormick, J. McIntyre, R. L. J. van der Meer, Z. -E. Meziani, R. Michaels, J. Mougey, S. Nanda, D. Neyret, E. A. J. M. Offermann, Z. Papandreou, C. F. Perdrisat, R. Perrino, G. G. Petratos, S. Platchkov, R. Pomatsalyuk, D. L. Prout, V. A. Punjabi, T. Pussieux, G. Quéméner, R. D. Ransome, O. Ravel, Y. Roblin, R. Roche, D. Rowntree, G.A. Rutledge, P. M. Rutt, A. Saha, T. Saito, A. J. Sarty, A. Serdarevic-Offermann, T. P. Smith, A. Soldi, P. Sorokin, P. Souder, R. Suleiman, J. A. Templon, T. Terasawa, L. Todor, H. Tsubota, H. Ueno, P. E. Ulmer, G.M. Urciuoli, P. Vernin, S. van Verst, B. Vlahovic, H. Voskanyan, J. W. Watson, L. B. Weinstein, K. Wijesooriya, R. Wilson, B. Wojtsekhowski, D. G. Zainea, V. Zeps, J. Zhao, Z. -L. Zhou

Short range correlated (SRC) nucleon-nucleon pairs in nuclei are typically studied using measurements of electron-induced hard nucleon-knockout reactions (e.g. $(e,e'p)$ and $(e,e'pN)$), where the kinematics of the knocked-out nucleons are used to infer their initial state prior to the interaction. The validity of this inference relies on our understanding of the scattering reaction, most importantly how rescattering of the detected nucleons (final state interactions or FSI) distort their kinematical distributions. Recent SRC measurements on medium to heavy nuclei have been performed at high-$x_B$ (i.e., anti-parallel kinematics) where calculations of light nuclei indicate that such distortion effects are small. Here we study the impact of FSI on recent $^{12}$C$(e,e'p)$ and $^{12}$C$(e,e'pp)$ measurements using a transport approach. We find that while FSI can significantly distort the measured kinematical distributions of SRC breakup events, selecting high-$x_B$ anti-parallel events strongly suppresses such distortions. In addition, including the effects of FSI improves the agreement between Generalized Contact Formalism-based calculations and data and can help identify those observables that have minimal sensitivity to FSI effects. This result helps confirm the interpretation of experimental data in terms of initial-state momentum distributions and provides a new tool for the study of SRCs using lepton-scattering reactions.