Isospin dependence in single-nucleon removal cross sections explained through valence-core destruction effects

The discrepancy between experimental data and theoretical calculations in one-nucleon removal reactions at intermediate energies (quantified by the so-called "quenching factors") and its dependence on the isospin asymmetry of the nuclei has been an open problem in nuclear physics for the last fifteen years. In this work, we propose an explanation for this long-standing problem, which relies on the inclusion of the process of core destruction due to its interaction with the removed nucleon. To include this effect, we extend the commonly used eikonal formalism via an effective nucleon density, and apply it to a series of nucleon knockout reactions. The effect of core destruction is found to depend strongly on the binding energy of the removed nucleon, leading to a significant reduction of the cross section for deeply bound nucleons, which reduces the isospin dependence of the "quenching factors", making them more consistent with the trends found in transfer and (p, p) reactions.