DEUTERON THRESHOLD ELECTRODISINTEGRATION AT HIGH MOMENTUM-TRANSFER

Absolute differential cross sections for the threshold electrodisinteg ration of the deuteron with good resolution were measured at a laborat ory scattering angle of 160 degrees; for five values of Q(2) ranging f rom 8.66 to 42.4 fm(-2). Comparisons of the data averaged over E-np fr om 0 to 3 MeV and from 0 to 10 MeV are made with nonrelativistic meson exchange calculations. These calculations are sensitive to the nucleo n electromagnetic form factors, nucleon-nucleon potential, and relativ istic effects. The data are also compared with a hybrid quark-hadron m odel calculation that describes the deuteron as a six-quark cluster fo r the short range part of the interaction. Some of these calculations can describe the data reasonably well over certain ranges of Q(2); how ever, none of these calculations can accurately describe the data over the entire measured Q(2) range.