Tensor polarization in pion-deuteron elastic scattering

Abstract

Angular distributions of the deuteron tensor polarization, ${t}_{20}$, in \ensuremath{\pi}-d elastic scattering have been measured at pion energies of 180, 220, and 256 MeV. The experiment and analysis are described in detail. Theoretical calculations in which the effects of pion absorption on the elastic channel are small seem to reproduce the data. An excitation function was measured in order to search for a rap- id energy dependence of ${t}_{20}$. No rapid angular or energy dependence was found near a pion energy of 134 MeV, where other experiments have suggested the existence of dibaryon resonances.