The polarization transfer observable Dr, r, (0 ) has been measured for H(p, n)2p, C(p, n) N, and C(p, n) N reactions with beam energies of 318 and 494 MeV. The deuterium results are in close agreement with free NN scattering constrained to the AJ = 1+ channel. The results for the carbon targets, however, are systematically more negative than those for deuterium, which suggests a di8'erence between the free and effective nucleon-nucleon interactions. Such a medium modification of the spin-dependent interaction may have important implications for interpretation of other intermediate-energy scattering experiments.PACS numbers: 25.40.Kv, 21.30, +y, 24.70.+s Measurements of the nuclear spin response require an accurate knowledge of the characteristics of the probe responsible for the transition. For example, in the analysis of recent quasifree (p, n) measurements it was necessary to assume that the probe characteristics are those of free nucleon-nucleon (NN) scattering [1,2]. It is likely that the NN interaction is changed when the reaction takes place in the nuclear medium, but the effects of distortions, inaccurate knowledge of the free interaction itself, and incomplete knowledge of the nuclear wave functions present obstacles against unambiguous evidence for such changes. Recent strategies have involved the study of transitions such as those to "stretched" nuclear configurations at bombarding energies where the optical potential and relevant components of the effective (free) interaction appear to be well determined [3,4]. Such studies have been used to explore the effective interaction in the momentum transfer range of approximately q = 1 -3 fm-'In this Letter we report evidence for a modification of the effective interaction near momentum transfer q = 0. Our result is based on the comparison of polarization transfer for several 4J = 1+ transitions at a scattering angle of 0~For this type of transition at this angle, angular momentum transfer of AL = 0 dominates and the effects of details of the nuclear wave functions and spinorbit distortions are minimized. Polarization transfer for 1+ transitions at this angle is sensitive to the relative strength of the central and tensor-exchange interactions.We have measured the longitudinal polarization transfer observable DL, I. (0') for the zH(p, n) and C(J7, n) reactions at 318 MeV and 494 MeV, and for the~4C(p, n) reaction at 494 MeV. The final-state interaction in the 2H(p, n)2p reaction restricts the two residual protons to a So state for small energy loss at O'. This reaction is therefore well described as 6J = 1+ and, under the assumption that nuclear medium effects are negligible for the deuteron, serves to characterize the free NN interaction amplitudes relevant to 1+ transitions at O'. The H(J7, n) results reported here agree well with the recent lower-resolution measurements of McNaughton et al [5].. Furthermore, both sets of zH measurements agree well with free NN scattering constrained to the LJ = 1+ channel. The r2C(p, n) and~4C(P, n) results, however, dif...