Quasi-Elastic Peak in High-Energy Nucleon-Nucleon Scattering

Abstract : IN THE SCATTERING OF VERY HIGH-ENERGY PROTONS FROM THE NUCLEONS WITHIN TARGET NUCLEI, IT IS FOUND THAT THE SCATTERED PROTONS HAVE A DISTRIBUTION OF ENERGIES. These experiments where performed which show a sharp peak in the energy distribution which corresponds to elastic scattering of the incident protons, and also a broader peak at somewhat lower energy which corresponds to nearly elastic scattering of the incident protons. An explanation of this latter quasi-elastic peak is offered in terms of the diffraction scattering of one of the pions in the cloud of the target nucleon. This diffraction scattering of the pion by the incident nucleon results in a moderate energy loss of the nucleon, so that it emerges in the quasi-elastic peak. (Author)