THE OCCURRENCE OF (n, 3n) REACTIONS IN A NUCLEAR REACTOR

Abstract

The reactions Bi²⁰⁹(n, 3n)Bi²⁰⁷ and Au¹⁹⁷(n, 3n)Au¹⁹⁵ have been observed to occur in NRX, a thermal neutron reactor. Competing reactions leading from Bi²⁰⁹ or Au¹⁹⁷ to the same products have been shown to be negligible. Within the uncertainties of the methods used the yields of Bi²⁰⁷ and Au¹⁹⁵ are about those expected on the basis of neutron evaporation from the compound nucleus formed by the amalgamation of the incoming neutron and the target nucleus.