Scattering of neutrons by carbon from 3 to 7 MeV

Angular distributions of neutrons elastically scattered from natural carbon have been measured at 32 neutron energies between 3 and 7 MeV with energy spreads ranging from 37 to 165 keV. The angular distributions of neutrons inelastically scattered from ¹²C have also been measured at the nine highest neutron energies. A phase-shift analysis of the elastic scattering cross sections yields the following spin and parity assignments for the excited states of ¹³C (Eₓ,J): 8.3 MeV,3/2⁺; 8.88 MeV,1/2⁻; 9.50 MeV,(1/2,3/2)⁻; 9.90 MeV,3/2⁻; 10.75 MeV,7/2⁻; 11.00 MeV,(1/2⁺). Neutron polarizations calculated from the extracted phase shifts agree fairly well with most of the available polarization measurements. A polarization contour map is given showing that carbon may be useful as a polarization analyzer between 4.5 and 7 MeV.