Measurement of the depolarization parameter in elastic proton-proton scattering at 3 and 6 GeV/c

Results are presented from an experiment designed to make the first systematic study of the depolarization parameter in elastic proton-proton scattering at high energies. Measurements were made at 3.0 and 6.0 GeV/c at $\mathrm{}\left|t\right|\mathrm{}$ values extending to 1.7 ${(\mathrm{G}\mathrm{e}\mathrm{V}/\mathit{c})}^2$ at the higher momentum. A high-intensity unpolarized proton beam was incident on a polarized proton target and the polarization of the elastically scattered recoil protons was determined with a carbon analyzer. The results are discussed in the framework of optical and exchange models.