The quasielastic ${(e,e}^{\prime }p)$ reaction was studied on targets of deuterium, carbon, and iron up to a value of momentum transfer $Q^2$ of $8.1(\mathrm{GeV}{/c)}^2.$ A nuclear transparency was determined by comparing the data to calculations in the plane-wave impulse approximation. The dependence of the nuclear transparency on $Q^2$ and the mass number A was investigated in a search for the onset of the color transparency phenomenon. We find no evidence for the onset of color transparency within our range of $Q^2.$ A fit to the world’s nuclear transparency data reflects the energy dependence of the free-proton–nucleon cross section.

• Received 29 August 2001

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevC.66.044613