Deep inelastic scattering from A=3 nuclei and the neutron structure function -: art. no. 035201

We present a comprehensive analysis of deep inelastic scattering from He-3 and H-3, focusing in particular on the extraction of the free neutron structure function F-2(n). Nuclear corrections are shown to cancel to within 1-2% for the isospin-weighted ratio of He-3 to H-3 structure functions, which leads to more than an order of magnitude improvement in the current uncertainty in the neutron to proton ratio F-2(n)/F-2(p) at large x. Theoretical uncertainties originating from the nuclear wave function, including possible non-nucleonic components, are evaluated. Measurements of the He-3 and H-3 structure functions will, in addition, determine the magnitude of the EMC effect in all Aless than or equal to3 nuclei.