The deuteron wave function at short range and the triton

It is shown that if one assumes something between zero and the prediction of the scaling model with dipole fit for the neutron electric form factor, then a variety of short-range behaviour for the deuteron wave function is consistent with existing experimental data on the deuteron electric form factor. This still relatively wide latitude for the inner deuteron wave function, consistent with existing experimental electromagnetic data, gives rise to an off-shell variation of approximately 1.2 MeV in the triton binding energy with a fixed ¹S₀ interaction and a P_D varying from 4.5 to 6.5 %. Interactions with greater densities of matter at short range bind the triton more strongly and closer to the experimental value. An off-shell variation of 0.7 MeV is obtained with a fixed p_d and singlet interaction. However, a single measurement of the deuteron tensor polarization at about q² = 20 fm^?2 would severely restrict this variation.