Theory of High-Energy Deuteron Scattering

Abstract

The scattering of high-energy deuterons from spin-zero targets is treated in the framework of the impulse approximation, using the polarization formalism of Wolfenstein and Ashkin, which is here extended to the case of spin-1 particles. The contributions of the deuteron $D$-state are included and are found to be important in large-angle scattering. The contributions to the deuteron scattering due to the simultaneous scattering of both particles of the deuteron are also included. These contributions are treated by a multi-time formalism similar to that used in the Bethe-Salpeter and Lévy-Klein approach to the relativistic two-body wave equation, but here a slightly different assumption regarding the relative time dependence is made. It is found that these contributions are important at both large and small scattering angles, and account for the large disparity between the experimental and theoretical values of the differential cross section obtained in previous calculations.