RESOLUTION OF DISCREPANCY BETWEEN BACKWARD ANGLE CROSS-SECTION DATA FOR NEUTRON-DEUTERON ELASTIC-SCATTERING

High-accuracy differential cross-section data for neutron-deuteron ela stic scattering at centre-of-mass backward angles in the range from 14 0-degrees to 178-degrees have been measured to accuracies better than +/- 3% for incident neutron energies of 8.0, 10.0, and 14.0 MeV. The m easurements were made by detection of the recoil deuterons and protons from a mixed CD2-CH2 foil. The new data are compared to existing data and to three-nucleon calculations with the Bonn-B nucleon-nucleon pot ential. We conclude that the present measurements unambiguously resolv e the discrepancies among previously reported data of the same type.