Measurement of the polarization parameter in pp elastic scattering at 150 GeV/c

Abstract The polarization parameter in pp elastic scattering at 150 GeV/ c , and in the momentum transfer interval 0.4 ⩽ − t ⩽ 3.0 GeV 2 , has been measured in an MWPC and scintillation counter experiment at the CERN SPS using a polarized proton target. The polarization is decreasing steadily from zero to ≈ − 10% in the range 0.4 t 2 ; for higher | t | the data suggests a change of sign. Results are also given for the differential cross section, which exhibits a small dip at − t = (1.46 ± 0.01) GeV.