Polarization of the Proton from Photodisintegration of the Deuteron

The transverse polarization of the outgoing proton from the photodisintegration of the deuteron is calculated in the angular momentum representation, without assuming any detailed interaction among particles. General formulas for the polarization as well as for the angular distribution are given in terms of the Racah coefficients. If we write the angular distribution in a form $a+b{sin}^2\theta (1+2ccos\theta )$, the polarization is given in terms of $a$, $b$, $c$, and the nucleon-nucleon scattering phase shifts of the $S$, $P$, and $D$ states under reasonable assumptions. By using experimental values of $a$, $b$, and $c$, and scattering phase shifts as much as available and also some theoretical estimates of the phase shifts, 20 to 30% polarization is expected for up to 40-Mev gamma rays and 10 to 20% for 140-Mev gamma rays over a wide range of angles in the center-of-mass system.