The Interaction of 14-Mev Neutrons with Protons and Deuterons

Abstract

Nuclear emulsions in conjunction with a neutron collimator have been used to measure the differential cross section as a function of angle for the elastic scattering of monoenergetic 14-Mev neutrons by protons and by deuterons. Measurements were carried out in the angular regions corresponding to neutrons being scattered at angles between 48° and 154.5° in the center-of-mass system by protons and between 46° and 176° in the same coordinate system by deuterons. The $n-p$ scattering data are consistent with isotropic scattering in the center-of-mass system, and are in excellent agreement with the data of Barschall and Taschek. The $n-d$ elastic scattering data are strongly anisotropic. The shape of the angular distribution of the neutrons elastically scattered by deuterons may be inferred from the differential cross sections in millibarns for the following laboratory angles: 2°, 435±28; 10°, 342±27; 20°, 78±9.3; 30°, 38±4.2; 40°, 59±5.2; 50°, 104±9.0; 60°, 136±12; 65°, 142±14. Strong evidence for the reaction $D(n, 2n)H^1$ has been found and an attempt to determine the energy and angular distribution of the disintegration protons was moderately successful.