Meson exchange currents and lithium-six charge form factor

The meson-exchange currents (MEC) and nucleonnucleon short-range correlation have been invoked in the calculation of the charge form factor of Li in the shell model with a harmonic-oscillator basis. The contribution of MEC becomes slightly significant in the sense that the agreement to data is improved when MEC is added to either the pure shell model or to the correlated wave function.

A second minimum at q=26.0 fm is predicted by correlation, but MEC contribution brings this minimum to about q2=24.0 fm-2. MEC produces the first minimum even without correlation, but MEC alone does not predict the second minimum.