The Disintegration of Nitrogen by Neutrons

Abstract

Nitrogen disintegrations produced by neutrons have been observed in a cloud chamber filled with nitrogen at reduced pressures. All of the observed disintegrations are attributed to one of the following reactions: ${}_7{}^{}{}_{}{}^{}\mathrm{N}_{}^{14}{}_{}{}^{}+{}_0{}^{}{}_{}{}^{}n_{}^1{}_{}{}^{}\to {}_5{}^{}{}_{}{}^{}\mathrm{B}_{}^{11}{}_{}{}^{}+{}_2{}^{}{}_{}{}^{}\mathrm{He}_{}^4{}_{}{}^{}, {}_7{}^{}{}_{}{}^{}\mathrm{N}_{}^{14}{}_{}{}^{}+{}_0{}^{}{}_{}{}^{}n_{}^1{}_{}{}^{}\to {}_7{}^{}{}_{}{}^{}\mathrm{C}_{}^{14}{}_{}{}^{}+{}_1{}^{}{}_{}{}^{}\mathrm{H}_{}^1{}_{}{}^{}, {}_7{}^{}{}_{}{}^{}\mathrm{N}_{}^{14}{}_{}{}^{}+{}_0{}^{}{}_{}{}^{}n_{}^1{}_{}{}^{}\to {}_2{}^{}{}_{}{}^{}\mathrm{He}_{}^4{}_{}{}^{}+{}_2{}^{}{}_{}{}^{}\mathrm{He}_{}^4{}_{}{}^{}+{}_3{}^{}{}_{}{}^{}\mathrm{Li}_{}^7{}_{}{}^{}.$ The first of these reactions is found to go for "slow neutrons" as well as fast ones. The value of the energy of disintegration for this reaction is 2.33±0.26 MEV. For fast neutrons, the results are similar to those of Kurie, with nearly a constant amount of energy (3.1 MEV) appearing in the disintegration forks. The second and third reactions occur less frequently than the first one.