0 50 30 15 v 1 4 M ar 2 00 5 Benchmark calculation for proton - deuteron elastic scattering observables including Coulomb

Two independent calculations of proton-deuteron elastic scattering observables including Coulomb repulsion between the two protons are compared in the proton lab energy region between 3 MeV and 65 MeV. The hadron dynamics is based on the purely nucleonic charge-dependent AV18 potential. Calculations are done both in coordinate space and momentum space. The coordinate-space calculations are based on a variational solution of the three-body Schrödinger equation using a correlated hyperspherical expansion for the wave function. The momentum-space calculations proceed via the solution of the Alt-Grassberger-Sandhas equation using the screened Coulomb potential and the renormalization approach. Both methods agree within 1% on all observables, showing the reliability of both numerical techniques in that energy domain. At energies below three-body breakup threshold the coordinate-space method remains favored whereas at energies higher than 65 MeV the momentum-space approach seems to be more efficient.