/sup 14/N(p,p')/sup 14/N(2. 31 MeV) reaction at 159. 4 MeV

Differential cross-section and analyzing-power angular distributions have been measured for the elastic scattering of 159.4 MeV protons on /sup 14/N and for the inelastic transitions to the 2.31-MeV and 3.95-MeV states. Elastic-scattering data for p+ /sup 12/C and inelastic data for the /sup 12/C(p,p')/sup 12/C(4.44 MeV) reaction have also been obtained at the same energy as a normalization check. The /sup 14/N(p,p')/sup 14/N(2.31 MeV) transition has been analyzed in the distorted-wave impulse approximation. This transition has long been regarded as a favorable test for the tensor component of the effective nucleon-nucleon interaction. Calculations employing wave functions that provide the necessary cancellation of the L = 0 central-interaction transition strength do not provide a good description of the differential cross-section angular distribution. It is suggested that more complicated reaction mechanisms, e.g., (p,d)(d,p') contributions, may be needed to describe this transition.