The Charge Distribution in Nuclei and the Scattering of High Energy Electrons

It is pointed out that the finite size of the nucleus will give rise to large deviations from Mott scattering when the change in wave-length of the electrons is of order of the nuclear dimensions. This deviation from Mott scattering at large scattering angles therefore provides a possibility for determination of the shape of the charge distribution and size of nuclei. In the case of a spherically symmetric charge distribution the nuclear charge density is immediately obtained from the observed angular distribution by a Fourier transform. The effects of competing processes, inelastic collisions with nuclear excitation or disintegration, atomic excitation or ionization and bremstrahlung are considered. It is shown that the first two competing effects may be disregarded if the electron energy is in the neighborhood of 50 Mev, the angle of scattering large (but not near $\pi$ and if the scattered electron has an energy equal to or nearly equal to the primary energy. With the latter condition fulfilled the bremstrahlung is reduced by the same factor as the elastic scattering and the two processes are indistinguishable.