The RPA nuclear continuum in 16O(e,e′) reactions at low momentum transfer. Decay on (e, e′p) and (e, e′n) reaction channels

A theoretical investigation has been performed of16O(e, e′) and16O(e, e′x) reactions at low momentum transfer in the frame of a self-consistent HF and RPA theory with a SK3 interaction. Nuclear responses and their multipole components have been calculated in the whole energy-range for the two electron kinematicsi) ɛi=67 MeV and θ=40°,ii) ɛi=130 MeV and θ=50°. The microscopic structure of HF and RPA resonating states in the energy continuum has been inferred from the calculation. Decay properties in the reaction channels (e, e′p) and (e, e′n) have been discussed in the two cases of a semidirect and a knockout reaction process.