The elastic electron-deutron electric and magnetic form factors $A\left(q\right)\mathrm{}$ and $B\left(q\right)\mathrm{}$ and tensor polarization $T_{2\pm 1}$ have been calculated for a family of phase equivalent deuteron wave functions with a percentage $D$ state $P_D$ varying from 4.5 to 7.5% (generated by unitary transformation from the super-soft-core potential of de Tourreil and Sprung). It is demonstrated that measurements of $T_{2\pm 1}$ for momentum transfers in the range $0\lesssim q\lesssim 6$ ${\mathrm{fm}}^{-1\mathrm{}}$ would not allow us to discriminate between all physically reasonable deuteron wave functions with different $P_D$. We also find that accurate measurements of $B\left(q\right)\mathrm{}$ in the region $4\lesssim q\lesssim 6$ ${\mathrm{fm}}^{-1\mathrm{}}$ are likely to narrow down the allowable range of values of $P_D$ a priori, without the need of difficult measurements of $T_{2\pm 1}$.

NUCLEAR STRUCTURE ${}_{}{}^2{}_{}{}^{}\mathrm{H}$ electric, magnetic form factors, tensor polarization calculated: phase equivalent deuteron wave functions; $P_D$ of deuteron wave function.

• Received 20 March 1981

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevC.24.1734