Polarized triton elastic scattering at 17 MeV

We present differential-cross-section and analyzing-power angular distributions for the elastic scattering of polarized tritons from 13 nuclei with 40 < or = A < or = 208. Data obtained at an energy of 17 MeV and in the angular range 200 < or = theta < or = 1600 are the basis for an optical-model analysis in which parameters which fit both observables simultaneously are determined. It is observed that the analyzing-power data delimit the real potential well parameters much more precisely than do cross-section data alone. Although the spin-orbit potential is less well defined, the average spin-orbit well depth is V/sub so/=6.2 +- 1.5 MeV with geometry parameters similar to those for nucleons. The spin-orbit volume integrals are about a factor of 3 greater than predicted from simple folding models