Studying the Isospin Structure of Short-Range Correlations Using Real Photons from Jefferson Lab*

Short Range Correlations (SRCs) are a feature of the internal structure of all types of nuclei. SRC pairs have been well-studied with quasi-elastic electron scattering experiments. These experiments have suggested that that SRCs can be characterized by high relative momentum and low center of mass momentum. This reliance on electron scattering, however, makes it difficult to assess the influence of reaction effects and final state interactions on our current understanding of SRCs. For that reason, the Hall D Short Range Correlations Experiment was conducted at Jefferson Lab in Fall 2021, using a real photon beam incident on nuclear targets to explore SRCs through various photoproduction channels. These channels provide insight into different kinematic regions and different final states than electroproduction experiments. My analysis has focused on ρ⁰ photoproduction from protons participating in SRCs, in order to test the correlations’ isospin structure. This consequently tests the predominance of np-pairing, which has widely been observed in electron scattering measurements. Our preliminary analysis shows that the predictions of Generalized Contact Formalism (GCF) work well when compared to our data set. Preliminary results of testing np-pair dominance, along with comparisons to GCF, will be presented in this talk.