NEUTRONS FROM PROTONS ON NICKEL, RHODIUM, TANTALUM, AND GOLD

Thesis/Dissertation · Tue Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1963

OSTI ID:4720898

Holbrow, C H

Thin self-supporting Ni, Rh, Ta, and Au foils were bombarded with 5- to 12-Mev protons from a Tandem Van de Graaff accelerator. Neutron energy spectra arising from the (p,n) reactions were obtained by means of a pulsedbeam time-of- flight spectroraeter. Spectra were taken at neutron emission angles from 0 deg to 140 deg at each bombarding energy. Below the threshold of the Ni/sup 58/ (p,n) reaction, bombardment of Ni with protons produced a neutron spectrum containing well deflned structure. The peaks were attributed to the Ni/sup 60/ (p,n) reaction. Reaction energies were determined for the observed peaks. The Rh, Ta, and Au neutron spectra exhibited no structure. These continuous energy distributions were interpreted in terms of Weisskopf's statistical theory, which relates the energy distribution of the emitted particles to the level density of the residual nucleus. A nuclear temperature with an uncertainty between 7 and 15% was determined from each spectrum. These temperatures are constant for all observed neutron energies at a given bombarding energy, but increase with increasing bombarding energy. At some bombarding energies the competing (p,2n) reaction was possible. Neutrons from this reaction could in many cases be distinguished from neutrons from the (p,n) reaction by an analysis of the shape of the spectrum. No effects of direct interactions were observed. Angular distributions were isotropic and no excess of high energy particles was present in the spectra. Total (p,n) cross sections were calculated from the differential cross sections determined in this experiment. The results are consistent with values obtained by other authors. (M.P.G.)

• Research Organization: Originating Research Org. not identified
• NSA Number: NSA-17-017293
• OSTI ID: 4720898
• Country of Publication: Country unknown/Code not available
• Language: English

Related Subjects

ANGULAR DISTRIBUTION
ENERGY
ENERGY LEVELS
ENERGY RANGE
EXCITATION
FOILS
GOLD
NEUTRON SPECTROMETERS
NEUTRONS
NICKEL 58
NICKEL 60
NUCLEAR MODELS
NUCLEAR REACTIONS
NUCLEAR TEMPERATURE
NUCLEI
NUMERICALS
PHYSICS
PROTON BEAMS
RHODIUM
SPECTRA
STATISTICS
TANTALUM
VAN DE GRAAFF ACCELERATORS
VELOCITY