Polarized triton elastic scattering at 17 MeV

Abstract

We present differential-cross-section and analyzing-power angular distributions for the elastic scattering of polarized tritons from 13 nuclei with $40\le A\le 208$. Data obtained at an energy of 17 MeV and in the angular range $20°\le \theta \le 160°$ are the basis for an optical-model analysis in which parameters which fit both observables simultaneously are determined. It is observed that the analyzing-power data delimit the real potential well parameters much more precisely than do cross-section data alone. Although the spin-orbit potential is less well defined, the average spin-orbit well depth is $V_{\mathrm{so}}=6.2\mathrm{}\pm 1.5$ MeV with geometry parameters similar to those for nucleons. The spin-orbit volume integrals are about a factor of 3 greater than predicted from simple folding models.