Measurement of antiproton-proton small-angle elastic scattering at low momentum

Two high statistics measurements of antiproton-proton small-angle elastic scattering, at p = 233 MeV/c and p = 272 MeV/c, are presented. The measurements were carried out at the LEAR facility at CERN. By the Coulomb-nuclear interference method, values are obtained for the real-to-imaginary ratio ρ of the pp forward nuclear scattering amplitude and for its exponential slope b: ρ = + 0.041 ± 0.026 and b = 71.5 ± 4.5 (GeV/c)−2 at 233 MeV/c and ρ = −0.014 ± 0.027 and b = 47.7 ± 2.7 (GeV/c)−2 at 272 MeV/c. The method to derive these values is discussed in detail and so are the uncertainties contributing to their systematic error. The results are compared with predictions from forward dispersion relation calculations and with predictions from pp potential models.