Small-angle elastic scattering of 14.8 mev neutrons

The 14.8 MeV neutron elastic scattering differential cross sections of U, Pb, Hg, Ta, Sn and Al have been measured for angles extending from 10° down to 1.8° and for U and Pb down to 0.35°. Nuclear cross sections extrapolated to 0° have been compared with the Wick limit. The U nuclear cross sections did not rise as sharply toward 0°, and were not in as serious disagreement with the spherical optical model, as in earlier measurements. The smallest-angle data verified the Schwinger prediction.