Ruling out Color Transparency in Quasielastic $^{12}\mathrm{C}(\mathrm{e},{e}^{\ensuremath{'}}\mathrm{p})$ up to ${Q}^{2}$ of $14.2\text{ }\text{ }(\mathrm{GeV}/\mathrm{c}{)}^{2}$

Ruling out Color Transparency in Quasielastic ${}^{12}C (e, e^{'} p)$ up to $Q^{2}$ of $14.2 (GeV / c)^{2}$

D. Bhetuwal et al. (for the Hall C Collaboration)

Phys. Rev. Lett. 126, 082301 – Published 23 February 2021

Abstract

Quasielastic ${}^{12}C (e, e^{'} p)$ scattering was measured at spacelike 4-momentum transfer squared $Q^{2} = 8$ , 9.4, 11.4, and $14.2 (GeV / c)^{2}$ , the highest ever achieved to date. Nuclear transparency for this reaction was extracted by comparing the measured yield to that expected from a plane-wave impulse approximation calculation without any final state interactions. The measured transparency was consistent with no $Q^{2}$ dependence, up to proton momenta of $8.5 GeV / c$ , ruling out the quantum chromodynamics effect of color transparency at the measured $Q^{2}$ scales in exclusive $(e, e^{'} p)$ reactions. These results impose strict constraints on models of color transparency for protons.