Elastic proton-deuteron backward scattering: Relativistic effects and polarization observables

The elastic proton-deuteron backward reaction is analyzed within a covariant approach based on the Bethe-Salpeter equation with realistic meson-exchange interaction. Lorentz boost and other relativistic effects in the cross section and spin correlation observables, such as tensor analyzing power and polarization transfer, etc., are investigated in explicit form. Results of numerical calculations for a complete set of polarization observables are presented.