Recoil Protons from Meson Photoproduction in Hydrogen and Deuterium

Author: Smythe, William Rodman

Year: 1957

Degree: Dissertation (Ph.D.)

Advisor: Tollestrup, Alvin V.

Committee Member: Unknown, Unknown

Option: Physics; Mathematics

DOI: 10.7907/KYME-ZS89

Abstract

The spectrum of photoprotons produced by 500 mev bremsstrahlung on hydrogen and deuterium has been measured at laboratory angles of 29.7°, 41.2°, and 51.8°. The protons were detected by a three scintillation counter telescope. The first counters were in coincidence and the third was in anticoincidence. Absorbers placed in front of and between the counters fixed the range of the particles observed, and the specific ionization in the front counter identified the protons. From the hydrogen data the π⁰ cross section of hydrogen was obtained, which agrees with the results of Oakley and Walker (1). The contribution of the deuterium photodisintegration reaction was subtracted from the deuterium counting rate and the deuterium to hydrogen ratio of recoil protons from meson production was obtained. This ratio is also calculated from the deuterium π⁻ and hydrogen π⁰ cross sections, by means of the spectator model of the deuteron (photons interact with only one of the deuterium nucleons). The initial motion of the target nucleon in the deuteron is taken into account. The calculated ratio is in agreement with the measured ratio if one corrects the spectator model for the fact that 11% of the mesons produced in deuterium are reabsorbed producing photodisintegration. The method of analysis developed is applied to other deuterium photomeson experiments.

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