Scattering of 314-Mev Polarized Protons by Deuterium

Abstract

The polarization of deuterium for 314-Mev protons has been examined as a function of angle. A beam of 314-Mev protons about 60 percent polarized was scattered by a liquid deuterium target. Measurements were made of the asymmetry of scattering of fast protons, namely both elastically and inelastically scattered, as a function of angle. The polarization of protons by deuterons, inferred from the asymmetry, was found to be small at small angles, to be about 0.35 from 10\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{} to 30\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{} laboratory angle, to be zero at 45\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{} and negative thereafter. The polarization of quasi-free proton-proton scattering measured with the two scattered protons in coincidence, was found to be zero at 41\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{} and 49\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{} laboratory angle within statistical error. The polarization of quasi-free proton-neutron scattering was computed from measurements with the scattered proton and neutron in coincidence and was found to be 0.56\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.12 at 29\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{} laboratory angle. The polarization of elastic scattered protons was computed from measurements using absorbers chosen to discriminate between elastic and inelastic protons, giving 0.59\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.07 at 24\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}, 0.29\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.05 at 28\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}, 0.39\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.18 at 32\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}, and -0.05\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.16 at 35\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}4\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{} laboratory angle.The polarization of protons by deuterium appears to vary with angle in approximately the same way as the proton polarization of H. One can say tentatively that the polarization of protons by neutrons at this energy has the same sign and about the same magnitude. The differential cross section of deuterium for scattering of protons is given as a function of barycentric angle of the $p\ensuremath{-}d$ system from 10 to 80 degrees.