Study of the in-medium nucleon electromagnetic form factors using a light-front nucleon wave function combined with the quark-meson coupling model

Abstract

We study the nucleon electromagnetic (EM) form factors in symmetric nuclear matter as well as in vacuum within a light-front approach using the in-medium inputs calculated by the quark-meson coupling model. The same in-medium quark properties are used as those used for the study of in-medium pion properties. The zero of the proton EM form factor ratio in vacuum, the electric to magnetic form factor ratio $μ_p G_{Ep}(Q^2)/G_{Mp}(Q^2)$ ($Q^2 = -q^2 > 0$ with $q$ being the four-momentum transfer), is determined including the latest experimental data by implementing a hard constituent quark component in the nucleon wave function. A reasonable fit is achieved for the ratio $μ_pG_{Ep}(Q^2)/G_{Mp}(Q^2)$ in vacuum, and we predict that the $Q_0^2$ value to cross the zero of the ratio to be about 15 GeV$^2$. In addition the double ratio data of the proton EM form factors in $^4$He and H nuclei, $[G^{^4{\rm He}}_{Ep}(Q^2)/G^{^4{\rm He}}_{Mp}(Q^2)]/[G^{^1{\rm H}}_{Ep}(Q^2)/G^{^1{\rm H}}_{Mp}(Q^2)]$, extracted by the polarized ($\vec{e}, e' \vec{p}$) scattering experiment on $^4$He at JLab, are well described. We also predict that the $Q_0^2$ value satisfying $μ_pG_{Ep}(Q_0^2)/G_{Mp}(Q_0^2) = 0$ in symmetric nuclear matter, shifts to a smaller value as increasing nuclear matter density, which reflects the facts that the faster falloff of $G_{Ep}(Q^2)$ as increasing $Q^2$ and the increase of the proton mean-square charge radius. Furthermore, we calculate the neutron EM form factor double ratio in symmetric nuclear matter for $0.1 < Q^2 < 1.0$ GeV$^2$. The result shows that the neutron double ratio is enhanced relative to that in vacuum, while for the proton it is quenched, and agrees with an existing theoretical prediction.