Tensor Polarization of the Deuteron at High Momentum Transfer in Elastic

The measurement of deuteron tensor polarization using (e, d) elastic scattering was performed in Hall C, Jefferson Lab by the t20 collaboration at four-momentum transfers of 4.10, 4.46, 5.08, 5.48, 6.23 and 6.65 fm 1 . The scattered electrons were detected by the High Momentum Spectrometer, and a specially designed magnetic channel was used to detect deuterons in coincidence. The polarization of the recoil deuterons was measured in the polarimeter POLDER, using IH(d,2p)n reaction. A 12 cm liquid deuterium target was used for (e, d) elastic scattering, and the second scattering took place in a 20 cm liquid hydrogen target in POLDER. The deuteron arm was fixed at 60.50 while the electron arm angle 0e was changed with different beam energies to obtain different momentum transfers. The extracted values of t 20 (Ge, GQ, GM, 0e), combined with the structure functions A(Gc, GQ, GM) measured in this experiment and the world data of B(GM), were used to separate the charge monopole form factor GC and charge quadrupole form factor GQ of the deuteron. The extracted values of t20 were compared to predictions of different theoretical models of the electromagnetic form factors of the deuteron. The present data favor the calculations of the "nucleononly" models with the inclusion of the relativistic effects and the meson exchange currents. The position of the node in the GC form factor from the present experiment is somewhat lower in fourmomentum transfer than in a previous Bates measurement. This tends to give a more consistent position of the node in GC for the two-nucleon and the three-nucleon systems. The need for more precise polarization data in the four-momentum transfer range of the node in GC is discussed. Thesis Supervisor: Dr. Claude F. Williamson Title: Senior Research Scientist, Department of Physics and Laboratory for Nuclear Science