Elastic Scattering of Protons by Deuterium Between 15 and 20 MeV

Differential cross sections for elastic scattering of protons by deuterium have been measured at laboratory energies of 14.9, 15.5, 16.2, 17.1, 18.5, 19.0, 19.6, and 19.9 MeV. 17 angles between 21.8 and 150.9° c.m. were included in each distribution. Nine of the angles represent the zeros of the Legendre polynomials through $l=4\mathrm{}$. Relative errors were about 0.8% on the average, and absolute errors were about 1.8%. In addition, relative angular distributions were taken at 16.2, 17.1, 18.5, and 19.1 MeV, including 51 angles between 9.8 and 167.0° c.m. These were normalized to the absolute data at c.m. angles between 30 and 54° and are in good agreement at the remaining angles. Smooth curves can be drawn through the data and no indications of strong resonant behavior are found in this energy range.