Speaker: Mark Strikman (Penn State)

Title: Short-Range Correlations in Nuclei and Hard Probes:
Results and Open Questions

Abstract: 
We focus on the dynamics of two hard processes which finally 
provided unambiguous evidence for the long-sought presence of 
short-range correlations (SRCs) in nuclei. One process is 
the analog of DIS at large x, namely (e,e') scattering at 
large Q2 where the quasielastic contribution still dominates. 
We argue that, similar to DIS, the closure approximation for 
the interaction of nucleons in the SRC with the residual system 
is valid, leading to the prediction of a number of scaling 
relations which are confirmed experimentally. Another process 
is the decay of a SRC after removal of a fast nucleon (as an 
aside, we discuss the connection with the notion of 
transverse-momentum dependent parton densities in the nucleon 
and corresponding experimental observables in ep scattering).
A consistent picture of SRCs in nuclei emerges from these and 
previous high-energy studies, including absolute probabilities 
and the isospin structure of two-nucleon SRCs. The discovered 
dominance of nucleon degrees of freedom in SRCs is emphasized, 
and its possible relation to the phenomenon of spontaneous 
chiral symmetry breaking is considered. We also outline directions 
for future theoretical and experimental studies of the physics 
relevant for SRCs, including relativistic effects and non-nucleonic 
degrees of freedom in SRCs.