Deuteron Photodisintegration at Intermediate Energies

Abstract

The differential and total cross sections for the photodisintegration of the deuteron are calculated for incident gamma-ray energies in the range from 6 to 28 Mev. The following cases are treated: (1) Approximation I, in which shape-independent wave functions are used corresponding to a 50 percent charge-exchange central force, (2) Approximation II-C, in which a central Hulth\'en potential with a variable percentage of charge exchange forces is used, (3) Approximation II-NC, in which approximate noncentral Hulth\'en wave functions and an approximate noncentral Hulth\'en potential with 50 percent charge-exchange force, is used. In all these calculations, use is made (where possible) of a form for the interaction between the deuteron and radiation that gives the results of the interaction to all multipole orders automatically. We also estimate the possible effect of exchange currents on the cross section by a calculation making use of the phenomenologically derived exchange moments of Berger and Foldy.The numerical results of these calculations are used to estimate the uncertainty in the theoretically calculated cross section at the present time. It is concluded that the uncertainty may be as large as 15 percent of the total cross section for these energies. About 5 percent of this arises from experimental uncertainties in empirically determined parameters, while the remainder arises from ignorance of the exact form of the neutron-proton interaction.