Effect of Quadrupole Deformation on High-Energy Scattering by Deuterons

The high-energy elastic scattering cross sections of the deuteron are shown, because of the $d$-state admixture, to be strongly dependent on the polarization of the deuteron spin. The polarization dependence is shown to explain the absence of a pronounced minimum in the differential cross section for unpolarized deuterons. For polarized deuteron targets, on the other hand, the minimum should assume a clearly observable form.