MEASUREMENT AND CALCULATION OF THE POLARIZATION TRANSFER PARAMETER K-Y(Y') IN NEUTRON-DEUTERON SCATTERING AT 15.0, 17.0, 19.0, AND 25.8 MEV

The nucleon-to-nucleon polarization transfer parameter K-y(yr) has bee n measured for the first time in neutron-deuteron scattering, at bomba rding energies E-n=15.0, 17.0, 19.0, and 25.8 MeV and scattering angle s theta(lab) = 50 degrees and 80 degrees. The results are compared wit h rigorous, fully charge-dependent Faddeev calculations using the most recent realistic, phase-equivalent nucleon-nucleon interactions and t he Tucson-Melbourne three-nucleon force (TM 3NF). Good agreement betwe en theory and experiment was found at 50 degrees where all potential m odels predict nearly the same value for K-y(y'). At 80 degrees, the pu re NN force predictions are spread due to their different D-state prob abilities for the deuteron. When the TM 3NF is included, with the cuto ff parameter in the strong form factors fitted to the experimental tri ton binding energy separately for each of the NN interactions, the dif ferent force predictions are shifted in such a way that they essential ly agree with each other. This means that K-y(y') scales with the trit on binding energy. At 50 degrees, the 3NF; causes only a small decreas e in the theoretical predictions, which still are close to the experim ental values. In the minimum around 80 degrees, the inclusion of the 3 NF leads to a more pronounced decrease of K-y(y') so that the theory n ow underestimates the data by about 10%. A comparison of our n-d data with existing p-d data indicates appreciable Coulomb force effects in the region of the minimum of K-y(y').