Incoherent bremsstrahlung in nuclei

We have studied the processes A(e, e′γ)X in nuclei, or incoherent bremsstrahlung, and determined expressions for the cross section in terms of the same nuclear response functions R_L, R_T, which appear in inclusive electron scattering (e, e′) in nuclei. Calculations of the cross sections are carried out using a Fermi gas model, complemented by the local-density approximation, to evaluate the response functions. We have carried out a study which shows that the reaction can be used to determine reliably the response functions from experimental data. On the other hand we have compared the incoherent bremsstrahlung with the coherent one in order to see the limits to the tagging technique, which produces monochromatic photons based on the assumption of the dominance of the coherent process. We observe that at energies E_γ < 1 GeV the dominance of the coherent process extends to relatively large scattering angles, making the present technique completely safe. However, as the energy of the electron increases, the region of dominance of the coherent process is reduced to smaller scattering angles. These results should be of use when extending the tagging technique to planned or future electron facilities.