Polarization of protons elastically scattered from deuterons

Abstract

The polarization of protons elastically scattered from deuterons has been measured by a double scattering experiment. Partially polarized protons of energy 1.50, 2.02 and 2.52 MeV were obtained by scattering a 4.1 MeV proton beam from carbon and by subsequent energy degradation in suitable foils. The scattering chamber was filled with a mixture of deuterium, helium and xenon, and the proton groups corresponding to elastic scattering from the individual gases were resolved in two symmetrically located semi-conductor detectors. The simultaneous measurement of right-left asymmetries for xenon, helium and deuterium permitted a continuous monitoring of false asymmetries, proton beam polarization and the p-d polarization, respectively. The measurements yield positive polarizations, relatively independent of energy, for p-d scattering at angles (c.m.) between 45° and 120° with maxima of about (8±2)% near 90°, and near zero values at 45° and 120°. These results are consistent with recent n-d polarization experiments of comparable accuracy.