Total cross section for inclusive electron scattering in the lowQ 2 region

Absolute cross sections for inclusive electron scattering on H, D, Be, Al, and Si have been measured in the kinematical region 0.08 (GeV/c)²<Q ²<1.0 (GeV/c)² and 0.3 GeV<v<6.5 GeV. The measurements have been performed at incident energies of 3, 5, 6, and 7 GeV and at the fixed scattering angle of 10°. A careful treatment of radiative corrections due to elastic electron nucleus scattering, quasielastic and inelastic scattering on the bound nucleons has been applied to the measured cross sections. The comparison of the nuclear cross sections with the elementary ones leads to a value ofA _eff<A with a rapid onset of this effect at small values of the scaling variablex′.