Influence of nucleon structure on spin correlation coefficients in elastic lepton-deuteron scattering

Abstract

Spin correlation coefficients in elastic scattering of leptons on the deuteron are studied in the one-photon-exchange Born approximation within the limit of zero lepton mass. Numerical estimations for the spin correlation coefficients caused by a polarized beam and a vector polarized target are presented and analyzed at various beam energies and scattering angles in two coordinate systems which are relevant for experiment. The influence of the obtained results on the nucleon structure is investigated, and a considerable dependence at incident beam energies greater than 1[Formula: see text]fm[Formula: see text] and backward scattering angles is found. The estimated results are of particular interest for encouragement of experimental measurements of lepton-deuteron scattering which aim for accurate calculation of the charge radius of the proton to a high degree of precision. These results may also stimulate new generation of measurements of different physical observables very sensitive to the spin structure of the nucleon and light nuclei.