The $p$-wave effects on Bethe's neutral form of meson theory are calculated for proton energies of 2.0 Mev, 2.4 Mev and 3.0 Mev. The range of nuclear force corresponding to a meson mass of 180 electron masses gives effects of the order of a few percent of the total scattering. These effects do not vanish at the scattering angle of 45°. If present, they call for a slight increase in the range of force derived from $s$ scattering. The comparison of the theoretical and experimental angular distributions indicates, however, that $p$-wave effects predicted by the above meson theory with a mass of 180 m are too large since they give too much small angle scattering.

• Received 12 December 1939

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRev.57.255