Elastic proton scattering from He in the forward direction at 200, 350 and 500 MeV

The differential cross section for the elastic scattering of protons from ⁴He has been measured at 200, 350, and 500 MeV over an angular range from 3.5° to 15° in the lab system. In addition, the analyzing power was measured in the same angular range at 350 and 500 MeV. The experiment makes use of a tenuous gas target in which the recoil -energy is measured with solid-state detectors. The proton scattering angle is measured outside the target by a system of multi-wire proportional counters. The differential cross sections have a nearly exponential dependence on momentum transfer in this kinematic range and grow with increasing energy. The analyzing power shows strong positive asymmetry.