Excitation Functions for Two Nitrogen-Sodium Nuclear Reactions

Abstract

Excitation functions were measured for two nitrogen-induced nuclear reactions on sodium, ${\mathrm{Na}}^{23}({\mathrm{N}}^{14}, \alpha p){\mathrm{P}}^{32}$ and ${\mathrm{Na}}^{23}({\mathrm{N}}^{14}, \alpha 2p){\mathrm{Si}}^{31}$. The total cross section at 26 Mev for the first reaction is 91±18 millibarns and for the second reaction 4.1±0.8 millibarns. A calculation based on the statistical model of the nucleus gives a value of about 50 for the ratio of $\frac{{\sigma }_{{\mathrm{P}}^{32}}}{{\sigma }_{{\mathrm{Si}}^{31}}}$, which may be compared with the experimental ratio of 22±5.