Optical-Model Analysis of Pion-Nucleus Scattering. II. Pion Form Factor

Abstract

The sensitivity of elastic ${\pi }^{\pm }-\alpha$ scattering to the pion form factor is calculated, using the velocity-dependent Kisslinger optical model. At 60 MeV an accuracy of 0.01 mb/sr should give the pion rms charge radius $r_{\pi }$ to a few tenths of a fermi; additional form-factor details are not readily measurable. The use of the deuteron and other targets is examined.