Photodisintegration of aligned deuterons at astrophysical energies using linearly polarized photons

TL;DR

This paper analyzes deuteron photodisintegration at astrophysical energies using linearly polarized photons, revealing complex interference among multiple amplitudes and highlighting recent experimental findings on amplitude distinctions and angular asymmetries.

Contribution

It provides a model-independent analysis showing how tensor analyzing powers and differential cross sections involve multiple interfering amplitudes, advancing understanding of deuteron photodisintegration.

Findings

Identification of five linear combinations of amplitudes involved

Recent experimental evidence supports distinct E1^j_v amplitudes

Observation of front-back asymmetry in differential cross section

Abstract

Following the model independent approach to deuteron photodisintegration with linearly polarized $\gamma-$rays, we show that the measurements of the tensor analyzing powers on aligned deuterons along with the differential cross section involve five different linear combinations of the isovector $E1^j_v; j=0,1,2$ amplitudes interfering with the isoscalar $M1_s$ and $E2_s$ amplitudes. This is of current interest in view of the recent experimental finding \cite{blackston1} that the three $E1^j_v$ amplitudes are distinct and also the reported experimental observation \cite{sawatzky} on the front-back (polar angle) asymmetry in the differential cross section.