Nuclear charge distribution and rms radius ofC12from absolute elastic electron scattering measurements

Elastic electron scattering cross sections for the nucleus $^{12}\mathrm{C}$ have been measured in a momentum transfer range from 0.25 to 2.75 ${\mathrm{fm}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$. The data were analyzed in a model independent way with a Fourier-Bessel parametrization of the charge distribution. For the rms radius, the value ${〈{r}^{2}〉}^{\frac{1}{2}}=(2.464\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.012)$ fm (no dispersion corrections applied) has been obtained, and agrees with those of other electron scattering experiments and with muonic atom experiments, but disagrees with data obtained from measurements of muonic x-ray transitions with a crystal spectrometer which show a larger rms radius. The extracte…