Investigation of Proton-Proton Short-Range Correlations via the (12)C(e,e′pp) Reaction

We investigated simultaneously the 12C(e,e′p) and 12C(e,e′pp) reactions at Q2=2 (GeV/c)2, xB=1.2, and in an (e, e′p) missing-momentum range from 300 to 600 MeV/c. At these kinematics, with a missing momentum greater than the Fermi momentum of nucleons in a nucleus and far from the delta excitation, short-range nucleon-nucleon correlations are predicted to dominate the reaction. For (9.5±2)% of the 12C(e,e′p) events, a recoiling partner proton was observed back-to-back to the 12C(e,e′p) missing-momentum vector, an experimental signature of correlations