Rapid fluctuations are observed in the tensor-polarization pzz of deuteron beams forwardtransmitted through graphite targets. Unpolarized 9.50 to 18.60 MeV beams from the Köln tandem accelerator were utilized, and the polarization behind seven 36 to 188 mg/cm 2 targets was measured with a polarimeter based on the 3 He( d, p) 4 He reaction. Due to the chosen relation between the areal target densities and the initial beam energies Ein, the seven sets of pzz(Ein) can be combined in a common plot as a function of Ein. This allows one to understand pzz, measured behind the 188 mg/cm 2 target at Ein=18.6 MeV, as resulting from the sequence of differential polarization production ∆pzz(E)/∆E during energy degradation in the target from E=18.60 to 9.50 MeV. The rapid fluctuations of ∆pzz(E)/∆Epzz are described by 51 Gaussian-distributed cross-sections removing deuterons either in the m = 0 or in the m = ±1 state from the beam. The 51 fitted central energies E0 with a single exception agree with the energies of the narrow peaks in the excitation functions of the weak, isospin-breaking 12 C(d, α2) 10 B * (1.74 MeV, J π = 0 + , T = 1) reaction with population of the second excited 10 B state via intermediate excited 14 N states. Angular momentum and parity conservation confines their spin values to J = l, the orbital angular momentum in the entrance state. Formation of J = l ± 1 states with other decay channels would be possible. According to the fit result, formation of J = l excited 14 N states dominates in the removal of deuterons from the beam. The coarse energy dependence of the present fluctuations corresponds to the excitation of the 14 N giant electric dipole resonance, split into regions of ∆pzz(E)/∆E >0 and <0. Strong evidence is found that removal of deuterons in the m = 0 (m = ±1) state from the beam leads to the formation of 14 N states of established positive (negative) parity. As an application, the removal cross-section functions allow to calculate pzz achievable with carbon targets for initial beam energies Ein between 18.60 and 9.50 MeV and Eout given by the areal target density. Carbon layers in a sandwich technique would enable pzz between -0.4 and +0.3.