Analyzing Power in Inclusive Proton-Nucleus Cross Sections

Abstract

This paper reports measurements of the analyzing power, ${A}_{y}$, in the production of both "backward" protons and forward (quasifree scattering) protons in the reaction $p+A\ensuremath{\rightarrow}p+X$, using 800-MeV polarized protons. For the backward protons the measurements show large negative $A$-dependent values of ${A}_{y}$ at low momenta, changing to large positive values at high momenta; in the quasielastic region, ${A}_{y}$ is large and positive, is smaller than ${A}_{y}$ measured in hydrogen, and decreases with increasing $A$.