Measurement of Tensor Polarization in Elastic Electron-Deuteron Scattering at Large Momentum Transfer

Abstract

Tensor polarization observables (t20, t21 and t22) have been measured in elastic electron-deuteron scattering for six values of momentum transfer between 0.66 and 1.7 (GeV/c)^2. The experiment was performed at the Jefferson Laboratory in Hall C using the electron HMS Spectrometer, a specially designed deuteron magnetic channel and the recoil deuteron polarimeter POLDER. The new data determine to much larger Q^2 the deuteron charge form factors G_C and G_Q. They are in good agreement with relativistic calculations and disagree with pQCD predictions.