Opening a new window into nuclear structure! This review explores the theory of high-energy semi-exclusive nucleon electro-production reactions from nuclear targets, focusing on the increasing transferred energies. It highlights how these reactions enable the investigation of microscopic nuclear structure at small distances, paving the way for new discoveries. The discussion covers simplifications in theoretical descriptions at higher energies and details a framework for calculating high-energy nuclear reactions using effective Feynman diagram rules, culminating in the generalized eikonal approximation (GEA). The GEA method is demonstrated through calculations of high-energy electro-disintegration of deuteron and A=3 targets, with subsequent generalization for A>3 nuclei, facilitating the analysis of nuclear transparency and short-range correlations. By linking GEA to Glauber theory, this work emphasizes the emergence of light-cone dynamics in high-energy electro-nuclear reactions.
Published in the International Journal of Modern Physics E, this review aligns with the journal's emphasis on nuclear and particle physics. The focus on high-energy reactions and the theoretical framework of GEA directly contributes to the journal’s coverage of nuclear structure and reaction mechanisms.