We measured the ratio P x /P z of the transverse to longitudinal components of polarization transferred from electrons to bound protons in 12 C by the 12 C( e, e p) process at the Mainz Microtron (MAMI). We observed consistent deviations from unity of this ratio normalized to the free-proton ratio, (P x /P z )12 C /(P x /P z )1 H , for both s-and p-shell knocked out protons, even though they are embedded in averaged local densities that differ by about a factor of two. The dependence of the double ratio on proton virtuality is similar to the one for knocked out protons from 2 H and 4 He, suggesting a universal behavior. It further implies no dependence on average local nuclear density.

A comparison between polarization-transfer to a bound proton in quasi-free kinematics by the A( e, e p) knockout reaction and that in elastic scattering off a free proton can provide information on the characteristics of the bound proton. In the past the reported measurements have been compared to those of a free proton with zero initial momentum. We introduce, for the first time, expressions for the polarization-transfer components when the proton is initially in motion and compare them to the 2 H data measured at the Mainz Microtron (MAMI). We show the ratios of the transverse (P x ) and longitudinal (P z ) components of the polarization transfer in 2 H( e, e p)n, to those of elastic scattering off a "moving proton", assuming the proton's initial (Fermi-motion) momentum equals the negative missing momentum in the measured reaction. We found that the correction due to the proton motion is up to 20% at high missing momentum. However the effect on the double ratio (Px/Pz) A (Px/Pz) 1 H is largely canceled out, as shown for both 2 H and 12 C data. This implies that the difference between the restingand the moving-proton kinematics is not the primary cause for the deviations between quasi-elastic and elastic scattering reported previously.

We present measurements of the polarization-transfer components in the 2 H( e, e p) reaction, covering a previously unexplored kinematic region with large positive (anti-parallel) missing momentum, p miss , up to 220 MeV/c, and Q 2 = 0.65 (GeV/c) 2 . These measurements, performed at the Mainz Microtron (MAMI), were motivated by theoretical calculations which predict small final-state interaction (FSI) effects in these kinematics, making them favorable for searching for medium modifications of bound nucleons in nuclei. We find in this kinematic region that the measured polarization-transfer components P x and P z and their ratio agree with the theoretical calculations, which use free-proton form factors. Using this, we establish upper limits on possible medium effects that modify the bound proton's form factor ratio G E /G M at the level of a few percent. We also compare the measured polarization-transfer components and their ratio for 2 H to those of a free (moving) proton. We find that the universal behavior of 2 H, 4 He and 12 C in the double ratio (Px/Pz) A (Px/Pz) 1 H is maintained in the positive missing-momentum region.

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