Determination of the Asymptotic Ratio of the Deuteron D- and S-State Amplitudes

The value 0.026 49 +- 0.000 43 is deduced for the deuteron asymptotic D- to S-state ratio from measurements of the /sup 208/Pb(d,p)/sup 209/Pb tensor analyzing powers at sub-Coulomb bombarding energies E/sub d/=7, 8, and 9 MeV. The quoted uncertainty includes statistical errors, beam-polarization measurement errors, and systematic errors which result from a choice of optical-model parameters used to describe the reaction. The result is conpared to several theoretical deuteron wave functions.