Structure of the Proton

Chambers, E.E. ; Hofstadter, R. ;
Phys.Rev. 103 (1956) 1454-1463, 1956.
Inspire Record 945003 DOI 10.17182/hepdata.26939

The structure and size of the proton have been studied by means of high-energy electron scattering. The elastic scattering of electrons from protons in polyethylene has been investigated at the following energies in the laboratory system: 200, 300, 400, 500, and 550 Mev. The range of laboratory angles examined has been 30° to 135°. At the largest angles and the highest energy, the cross section for scattering shows a deviation below that expected from a point proton by a factor of about nine. The magnitude and variation with angle of the deviations determine a structure factor for the proton, and thereby determine the size and shape of the charge and magnetic-moment distributions within the proton. An interpretation, consistent at all energies and angles and agreeing with earlier results from this laboratory, fixes the rms radius at (0.77±0.10) ×10−13 cm for each of the charge and moment distributions. The shape of the density function is not far from a Gaussian with rms radius 0.70×10−13 cm or an exponential with rms radius 0.80×10−13 cm. An equivalent interpretation of the experiments would ascribe the apparent size to a breakdown of the Coulomb law and the conventional theory of electromagnetism.

1 data table match query

In the experiment just relative cross sections were measured. The absolute values were ascribed at each energy after multiplying experimental data by a co nstant factor to obtain the best fit with theory assuming the diffuse proton model with charge and magnetic moment rms radii 0.08 fm.. The values in the table are extracted from the graphs (see figs. 6 - 9) byZOV.