Spin-Momentum Correlations in Quasi-Elastic Electron Scattering from Deuterium

We report on a measurement of spin-momentum correlations in quasi-elastic scattering of longitudinally polarized electrons with an energy of 720 MeV from vector-polarized deuterium. The spin correlation parameter \(A^V_{ed}\) was measured for the \(^2 \vec{\rm H}(\vec e,e^\prime p)n\) reaction for missing momenta up to 350 MeV/\(c\) at a four-momentum transfer squared of 0.21 (GeV/c)\(^2\). The data give detailed information about the spin structure of the deuteron, and are in good agreement with the predictions of microscopic calculations based on realistic nucleon-nucleon potentials and including various spin-dependent reaction mechanism effects. The experiment demonstrates in a most direct manner the effects of the D-state in the deuteron ground-state wave function and shows the importance of isobar configurations for this reaction.