Scattering of Protons by Deuterons

Abstract

Utilizing a scattering chamber based upon the successful design used by Herb, Kerst, Parkinson, and Plain (HKPP) in the measurement of proton-proton scattering, experimental data on the scattering of protons by deuterons have been obtained. The incident protons were accelerated by the 3.5-Mev Wisconsin generator ("long tank") which was used by the Manhattan Project at Los Alamos, New Mexico. The geometry, and the current and pressure measurements were checked by comparing the measurements of proton-proton scattering at 2.1 Mev with the work of HKPP. Results on proton-deuteron scattering at 0.825, 1.51, 2.08, 2.53, 3.00, and 3.49 Mev were obtained. The absolute cross sections per unit solid angle show the presence at all energies studied of higher order waves. A minimum in the scattering is observed near 90° at the low energies; the minimum shifts to larger angles with increasing energy. The cross sections at all angles decrease with increasing energy but the ratio of the cross section at 150° to the minimum increases gradually from 2.3 at 1.51 Mev to 3.0 at 3.49 Mev. The present results at 825 kev do not show the large anomaly found by Tuve, Heydenburg, and Hafstad at 830 kev.