Polarization observables in low-energy antiproton-proton scattering
Daren Zhou and Rob G. E. Timmermans
Accepted
\noindent We investigate the polarization parameters in low-energy antiproton-proton elastic ($\overline{p}p\rightarrow\overline{p}p$) and charge-exchange ($\overline{p}p\rightarrow\overline{n}n$) scattering. The predictions for unmeasured observables are based on our new energy-dependent partial-wave analysis of all antiproton-proton scattering data below 925 MeV/$c$ antiproton laboratory momentum, which gives an optimal description of the existing database. Sizable and remarkable spin effects are observed, in particular for charge-exchange scattering. These result from the spin dependence of the long- and medium-range one- and two-pion exchange antinucleon-nucleon potential and the state dependence of the parametrized short-range interaction. We study the possibility to polarize a circulating antiproton beam with a polarized proton target by exploiting the spin dependence of the $\overline{p}p$ total cross section. It appears feasible to achieve a significant transverse polarization of an antiproton beam within a reasonable time.