Short-range correlations and the nuclear momentum density distribution forO16

The leading-order correlation corrections to the independent particle shell model momentum density distribution for ${}_{}{}^{16}{}_{}{}^{}\mathrm{O}$ are calculated using the Brueckner theory of finite nuclei. The Pauli corrected defect functions are calculated using Reid soft core B and de Tourreil-Sprung interaction potentials with harmonic oscillator starting wave functions and experimental shell model starting energies. The short-range correlations are found to modify significantly the independent particle shell model momentum density distribution for low momenta and to dominate it for high momenta. Comments are made concerning the selection of ground state nuclear wave functions for calculating quasielastic scattering processes.