The scattering of high-energy electrons from nuclear and nucleon targets essentially provides a microscope for examining the structure of these tiny objects. The best evidence we have on what nuclei and nucleons actually look like comes from electron scattering. This book examines the motivation for electron scattering and develops the theoretical analysis of the process. It discusses our current theoretical understanding of the underlying structure of these systems at appropriate levels of resolution and sophistication, as well as summarising present experimental capabilities. Suitable for advanced undergraduates, graduates and researchers.

The rms charge radius of /sup 3/He was measured to be 1.90 +- 0.05 fm by means of low momentum transfer electron scattering at the National Bureau of Standards. A report to be submitted for publication is being prepared. In July a fifth (e, e') spectrum was measured at NBS for the /sup 20/Ne giant resonance region. The analysis of /sup 20/Ne data without the need of an arbitrary quasielastic continuum contribution is completed. The region between the neutron and proton thresholds is dominantly of electric quadrupole character, and that above the proton threshold of electric dipole character. Form factors were extracted. Magnetic elastic scattering was measured for /sup 25/Mg at the Bates Electron Linear Accelerator of Middleton, Massachusetts. A fixed scattering angle of 160/sup 0/, and electron energies between 140 and 270 MeV were used. The ground state M5 form factors were extracted after corrections were made for Coulomb scattering contributions at 160/sup 0/. Forward-angle data taken at Mainz, Germany in a U. Mass.-Mainz collaborative experiment were used in making these corrections and in extracting C2, and for the first time, C4 moments. At the I.K.O. laboratory of Amsterdam, The Netherlands, M1 and some M3 form factor points were measured. Thus information on form factors of all possible multipoles was obtained.

This 2001 book examines the motivation for electron scattering and develops the theoretical analysis of the process. It discusses our understanding of the underlying structure of nuclei and nucleons, and summarizes experimental electron scattering capabilities. This title has been reissued as an Open Access publication on Cambridge Core.

This book summarizes the considerable progress recently achieved in the understanding of nucleon and nuclear structure by using high energy electrons as a probe. A collection of papers discusses in detail the new frontiers of this field. Experimental and theoretical articles cover topics such as the structure of the nucleon, nucleon distributions, many-body correlations, non-nucleonic degrees of freedom and few-body systems. This book is an up-to-date introduction to the research planned with continuous beam electron accelerators.