No Arabic abstract
Proton-${}^3$H elastic scattering and charge-exchange reaction ${}^3$H$(p,n){}^3$He in the energy regime above four-nucleon breakup threshold are described in the momentum-space transition operator framework. Fully converged results are obtained using realistic two-nucleon potentials and two-proton Coulomb force as dynamic input. Differential cross section, proton analyzing power, outgoing neutron polarization, and proton-to-neutron polarization transfer coefficients are calculated between 6 and 30 MeV proton beam energy. Good agreement with the experimental data is found for the differential cross section both in elastic and charge-exchange reactions; the latter shows a complicated energy and angular dependence. The most sizable discrepancies between predictions and data are found for the proton analyzing power and outgoing neutron polarization in the charge-exchange reaction, while the respective proton-to-neutron polarization transfer coefficients are well described by the calculations.
Background: Theoretical calculations of the four-particle scattering above the four-cluster breakup threshold are technically very difficult due to nontrivial singularities or boundary conditions. Further complications arise when the long-range Coulomb force is present. Purpose: We aim at calculating proton-${}^3$He elastic scattering observables above three- and four-cluster breakup threshold. Methods: We employ Alt, Grassberger, and Sandhas (AGS) equations for the four-nucleon transition operators and solve them in the momentum-space framework using the complex-energy method whose accuracy and practical applicability is improved by a special integration method. Results: Using realistic nuclear interaction models we obtain fully converged results for the proton-${}^3$He elastic scattering. The differential cross section, proton and ${}^3$He analyzing powers, spin correlation and spin transfer coefficients are calculated at proton energies ranging from 7 to 35 MeV. Effective three- and four-nucleon forces are included via the explicit excitation of a nucleon to a $Delta$ isobar. Conclusions: Realistic proton-${}^3$He scattering calculations above the four-nucleon breakup threshold are feasible. There is quite good agreement between the theoretical predictions and experimental data for the proton-${}^3$He scattering in the considered energy regime. The most remarkable disagreements are the peak of the proton analyzing power at lower energies and the minimum of the differential cross section at higher energies. Inclusion of the $Delta$ isobar reduces the latter discrepancy.
Microscopic calculations of four-body collisions become very challenging in the energy regime above the threshold for four free particles. The neutron-${}^3$He scattering is an example of such process with elastic, rearrangement, and breakup channels. We aim to calculate observables for elastic and inelastic neutron-${}^3$He reactions up to 30 MeV neutron energy using realistic nuclear force models. We solve the Alt, Grassberger, and Sandhas (AGS) equations for the four-nucleon transition operators in the momentum-space framework. The complex-energy method with special integration weights is applied to deal with the complicated singularities in the kernel of AGS equations. We obtain fully converged results for the differential cross section and neutron analyzing power in the neutron-${}^3$He elastic scattering as well as the total cross sections for inelastic reactions. Several realistic potentials are used, including the one with an explicit $Delta$ isobar excitation. There is reasonable agreement between the theoretical predictions and experimental data for the neutron-${}^3$He scattering in the considered energy regime. The most remarkable disagreements are seen around the minimum of the differential cross section and the extrema of the neutron analyzing power. The breakup cross section increases with energy exceeding rearrangement channels above 23 MeV.
The differential cross section and deuteron analysing powers of the dp -> {pp}n charge-exchange reaction have been measured with the ANKE spectrometer at the COSY storage ring. Using a deuteron beam of energy 1170 MeV, data were obtained for small momentum transfers to a {pp} system with low excitation energy. A good quantitative understanding of all the measured observables is provided by the impulse approximation using known neutron-proton amplitudes. The proof of principle achieved here for the method suggests that measurements at higher energies will provide useful information in regions where the existing np database is far less reliable.
It is suggested that proton elastic scattering on atomic electrons allows a precise measurement of the proton charge radius. Very small values of transferred momenta (up to four order of magnitude smaller than the ones presently available) can be reached with high probability.
Two-photon exchange contributions to elastic electron-proton scattering cross sections are evaluated in a simple hadronic model including the finite size of the proton. The corrections are found to be small in magnitude, but with a strong angular dependence at fixed $Q^2$. This is significant for the Rosenbluth technique for determining the ratio of the electric and magnetic form factors of the proton at high $Q^2$, and partly reconciles the apparent discrepancy with the results of the polarization transfer technique.