Polarization in theH2(d, p)H3Reaction

Abstract

The polarization of the protons in the ${\mathrm{H}}^2(d, p){\mathrm{H}}^3$ reaction has been measured at a deuteron energy of 0.64 Mev in the laboratory system, and a proton angle 45° in the center-of-mass system. The deuterium gas target was approximately 70 kev thick. Scattering in helium gas was used to measure the polarization. Corrections for geometrical asymmetries were determined by comparing the scattering in helium with scattering in xenon gas. Measurements made at three different proton energies yield an average value of -(17±7)% for the polarization. The negative sign signifies a direction opposite the vector [${\mathrm{V}}_d\times {\mathrm{V}}_p$], where ${\mathrm{V}}_d$ and ${\mathrm{V}}_p$ are the deuteron and proton velocities, respectively.