Electron Scattering from Nuclear Targets and Quark Distributions in Nuclei

Abstract

The deep-inelastic electromagnetic structure functions of steel, deuterium, and hydrogen nuclei have been measured with use of the high-energy electron beam at the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center. The ratio of the structure functions of steel and deuterium cannot be understood simply by corrections due to Fermi-motion effects. The data indicate that the quark momentum distributions in the nucleon become distorted in the nucleus. The present results are consistent with recent measurements with high-energy muon beams.