The Gamma-Radiation from Nitrogen Bombarded by Deuterons

Abstract

The energies and the relative intensities of the gamma-rays emitted from nitrogen bombarded by deuterons of 700 kev energy have been measured by the positron-electron pairs and recoil electrons ejected from thin laminae placed inside a cloud chamber. The distribution of pairs ejected from a lead lamina 0.026 cm thick reveals two strong components of quantum energy 7.2±0.4 Mev and 5.3±0.4 Mev, and a number of weaker components which may be attributed to radiation of about 4 and 2 Mev. There are also a number of pairs which extend up to 11 Mev. The distribution of recoil electrons from a carbon lamina 0.12 cm thick indicates two strong groups of quantum energy 4.2 and 2.2 Mev. No attempt was made to extend the recoil measurements to higher energies. The 7.2-Mev radiation is attributed to the reaction ${\mathrm{N}}^{14}+{\mathrm{H}}^2\to {\mathrm{C}}^{12}+{\mathrm{He}}^4,$ because radiation of this energy has been observed in other reactions producing ${\mathrm{C}}^{12}$. The 5.3-Mev radiation is attributed to an excited state of ${\mathrm{N}}^{15}$ of this energy according to the reaction ${\mathrm{N}}^{14}+{\mathrm{H}}^2\to {\mathrm{N}}^{15}+{\mathrm{H}}^1$ in good agreement with the value of 5.4 Mev predicted by the range measurements of Cockcroft and Lewis. An attempt is made to correlate the energies and intensities of the gamma-rays produced by excited states in ${\mathrm{C}}^{12}$, ${\mathrm{N}}^{15}$ and ${\mathrm{O}}^{15}$ according to several reactions.