Elastic Scattering of 340-Mev Protons by Deuterons

Abstract

The differential cross section for the elastic scattering of 340-Mev protons by deuterons has been measured at eight angles from 30° to 150° in the center-of-mass system. A coincidence counting system using scintillation counters detected both product particles, the elastic effect being separated from the inelastic through identification of the scattered deuterons by photographically recorded pulse heights produced in a counter telescope. The resulting cross section is, at 30°, 2.2 mb/steradian; 40°, 0.89; 50°, 0.39; 70°, 0.11; 90°, 0.047; 110°, 0.042; 130°, 0.047; and 150°, 0.099, in center-of-mass units. The total (statistical and systematic) errors range from 15 to 24%. The total elastic cross section is estimated to be 6.0±1.2 mb. Problems of interpretation using the impulse approximation are discussed; the sticking factor is calculated for three different $n-p$ potentials. At scattering angles of 30° and 40° there appears to be very little interference effect between $n-p$ and $p-p$ scattering. The interference is perhaps slightly destructive.