Neutron Polarization in (p, n) Reactions and Nuclear Optical Model

Abstract

The polarization of the neutron produced in a ($p, n$) reaction is calculated under the assumption of a direct mechanism for the reaction. The "cloudy crystal ball" potential modified by the spin-orbit coupling term is assumed to be the neutron-nucleus interaction. The model is applied to the reaction ${\mathrm{Si}}^{29}(p, n){\mathrm{P}}^{29}$ for $E_p=6\mathrm{} \mathrm{and} 6.5$ Mev. The maximum negative polarizations ∼-75% come in for the center-of-mass scattering angle $\theta \sim 75°$.