The quasielastic electron scattering contributions to the ${(e,e}^{\prime })$ and ${(e,e}^{\prime }p)$ reactions for medium and heavy nuclei depend on the nucleon electric and magnetic form factors in the nucleus. We investigate experimental data for the ${(e,e}^{\prime })$ reaction taken at SLAC on ${}^{12}\mathrm{C},$ ${}^{56}\mathrm{Fe},$ and ${}^{197}\mathrm{Au}$ at four-momentum transfers up to $0.28(\mathrm{GeV}{/c)}^2$ and for the ${(e,e}^{\prime }p)$ reaction at Jefferson Lab on ${}^{16}\mathrm{O}$ at four-momentum transfer of $0.8(\mathrm{GeV}{/c)}^2.$ Using a relativistic mean field “single-particle” theoretical model that successfully describes experimental data at lower energies and momentum transfers, we find no evidence for a modification of the nucleon form factors from their free space values for the inclusive ${(e,e}^{\prime })$ reactions and suggest that the exclusive reaction ${(e,e}^{\prime }p)$ with high precision data may provide an even tighter constraint on possible medium modifications of the proton form factors.

• Received 1 May 2003

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevC.68.027601