Systematic analysis method for color transparency experiments

We introduce a data analysis procedure for color transparency experiments which is considerably less model dependent than the transparency ratio method. The new method is based on fitting the shape of the [ital A] dependence of the nuclear cross section at fixed momentum transfer to determine the effective attenuation cross section for hadrons propagating through the nucleus. The procedure does not require assumptions about the hard scattering rate inside the nuclear medium. Instead, the hard scattering rate is deduced directly from the data. Some theoretical input is necessary in modeling the attenuation due to the nuclear medium, for which we use a simple exponential law. We apply this procedure to the Brookhaven experiment of Carroll [ital et] [ital al]. and find that it clearly shows color transparency: the effective attenuation cross section in events with momentum transfer squared [ital Q][sup 2] is approximately 40 mb (2.2 GeV[sup 2]/[ital Q][sup 2]). The fit to the data also supports the idea that the hard scattering inside the nuclear medium is closer to perturbative QCD predictions than is the scattering of isolated protons in free space. We also discuss the application of the new analysis method to electroproduction experiments.