Scattering of 15.7-Mev Electrons by Nuclei

Abstract
Electrons removed from the 20-Mev betatron are focused to a 0.08-inch spot about 10 feet from the betatron by a magnetic lens. The electrons impinge on thin foils at the center of a highly evacuated scattering chamber having a diameter of 20 inches. Elastically scattered electrons, selected by a 38 inch×2 inch aperture, are focused by means of a 75° magnetic analyzer with 3 percent energy resolution and are detected by coincidence Geiger counters. Corrections are applied for multiple scattering and for energy losses which remove the electrons from the range of energies accepted by the detector arrangement. The scattering cross section for gold at 150° is found to be about 2.6 times that given by Mott's formula in the Born approximation and about one-half of that expected for the scattering by a point nucleus. This result is in good agreement with the calculations for electrons of this energy if the nuclear charge is assumed to be distributed uniformly throughout the nuclear volume.