The differential cross-section for elastic charge-exchange scattering of neutrons on protons has been measured at 8 GeV/c over forward laboratory scattering angles (0÷90) mrad (square of four-momentum transfer 0<−t<0.5 (GeV/c)2). The method utilized acoustic spark chambers and about 1900 elastic-scattering events were analysed. A value of (dσ/dΩ)lab=(20±6) mb/sr (dσ/dt=(0.93±0.28) mb/(GeV/c)2) was obtained for the forward differential cross-section and an estimated (0.06±0.03) mb for the elastic charge exchange cross-section. Both cross-sections show the decreased values expected from Pomeranchuk’s second theorem (1) when compared with results at lower energies (2). Further comparison shows that the narrow forward peak in the distribution of dσ/dt previously observed for −t<0.05, is still present at 8 GeV/c, varying in shape only slowly, if at all, with energy. For −t>0.1 however, energy dependence is apparent. The results also suggest that the interaction is spin-dependent and/or that the real parts of the scattering amplitudes in the isospin states 0 and 1 are different. Comparisons with the theoretical predictions show good agreement with the value of forward cross-section given by the Regge pole approach ofAhmadzadeh (3). The model ofRingland andPhillips (4) for single-pion exchange with absorption agrees with our results for −t<0.01 but a predicted secondary peak at −t∼0.08 is not observed.

The differential cross section in free n-p forward elastic scattering has been measured for incident neutron energies of 378, 481, 582, 683, 784, 884, and 1085 MeV and for momentum transfer 0.01<‖t‖<0.08 (GeV/c)2. The experiment used a recoil-detector ionization chamber which served at the same time as a gas target. Special care has been taken to obtain a precise absolute normalization.

The neutron-proton elastic differential cross section has been measured for incident momenta between 10 and 70 GeV/c and for values of the momentum transfer squared between 0.1 and 2.8 (GeV/c) 2 . The forward peak and the break at about ∣ t ∣ = 1 (GeV/ c ) 2 are very similar to corresponding pp data.

The neutron-proton elastic differential cross section has been measured with high statistics for incident momenta between 10 and 24 GeV/ c using wire spark chambers for the neutron detection. The t -range covered by previous experiments could thus be extended to 0.06–3 (GeV/ c ) 2 . In this t -interval the np cross section is found to be very similar to the corresponding pp cross section.

Direct measurements were made of neutron-proton elastic scattering differential cross sections at high energies. A neutron beam with a continuous momentum spectrum between 1.2 and 6.7 GeV/c was scattered off a liquid hydrogen target, and spark chambers were used to determine the neutron scattering angle and, in a proton spectrometer, to measure the momentum and scattering angle of the recoil proton. Differential cross sections are presented over the incident neutron momentum range in intervals of the order of 0.5-GeV/c wide. The cross sections have an exponential peak in the forward direction and then flatten and become isotropic about the 90° c.m. scattering angle. At larger angles, the cross sections again rise towards the expected charge-exchange peak, which was not within the range of this experiment. There is little evidence of any other structure in the cross section. Values are presented for the slope of the diffraction peak, and comparisons are made between these slopes, and the 90° c.m. cross sections, for pp and np elastic scattering. The results presented here differ from those previously reported because of an error in a Monte Carlo calculation and in the availability of improved data on the real part of the np elastic scattering amplitude. At 5 GeV/c, a direct comparison of pp and np data allows the I=0 differential cross section to be extracted. The np data have been fitted in powers of cosθc.m. for |cosθc.m.|<0.8 for each energy range.

The differential cross-section for the elastic neutron-proton-scattering has been measured for neutron energies between 4 and 16 GeV and | t | from 0.3 to 1.3 (GeV/ c ) 2 . The results can be fitted by exp( A + Bt ), where B increases slightly with energy indicating shrinkage. The values of B for n−p scattering are in good agreement with the corresponding data for p−p scattering.

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