The electric polarizability of the deuteron has been determined by measuring deviations from the Rutherford scattering formula for deuteron elastic scattering from ${}_{}{}^{208}{}_{}{}^{}\mathrm{Pb}$ at energies from 3.0 to 7.0 MeV. The measured value of the electric polarizability, $\alpha =0.70\mathrm{}\pm 0.05$ ${\mathrm{fm}}^3$, is in fair agreement with theoretical predictions.

• Received 29 July 1982

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.49.909