Polarization Experiments in Proton-Proton Scattering

Abstract

Possible proton-proton polarization experiments and the information that can be gained from them are reported here. In this paper we write down the formalism and list formulae from which a quantity which can be measured in such experiments can easily be obtained in terms of the theoretical quantities. We employ the formalism of the statistical matrix for spin ½ particles and the representation of the scattering matrix in spin space. The chief aim of this paper is to present a complete set of formulae covering all experiments which appear to be possible in the near future. In a second paper we shall discuss in more detail a group of experiments which are now of great interest, namely, those involving analysis in coincidence. In § 1 we introduce the formalism to be employed and give an elementary discussion of polarization phenomena. In § 2 results of the algebra needed to carry out the analysis of experiments are given, and in § 3, these are used to show what quantities the experiments determine.