The quasi - elastic nuclear response

We explore the nuclear responses at intermediate energies, particularly in the spin longitudinal σ · q and spin transverse σ × q isovector channels, within the continuum random phase approximation framework. We also employ an extension of the standard random phase approximation to account for the spreading width of the single particle states through the inclusion of a complex and energy-dependent nucleon self-energy. The nuclear responses are then used as the basic ingredient to calculate hadronic reactions in the Glauber theory framework. Here both one and two-step contributions to the multiple scattering series in the quasi-elastic peak region are taken into account. We find evidence for shell effects in the one-step response and a strong dependence on the momentum regime of the two-step contribution.