Nuclear Excitation Functions and Thick Target Yields: (Cr+d)

Abstract

Nuclear excitation functions and thick-target yields have been determined for several reactions which occur when chromium of natural isotopic composition is bombarded with deuterons of ∼15 Mev. The reactions are ${\mathrm{Cr}}^{52}(d, 2n){\mathrm{Mn}}^{52}$, [${\mathrm{Cr}}^{53}(d, n){\mathrm{Mn}}^{54}$, ${\mathrm{Cr}}^{54}(d, 2n){\mathrm{Mn}}^{54}$], [${\mathrm{Cr}}^{50}(d, p){\mathrm{Cr}}^{51}$, ${\mathrm{Cr}}^{50}(d, n){\mathrm{Mn}}^{51}\stackrel{\beta }{\to }{\mathrm{Cr}}^{51}$, ${\mathrm{Cr}}^{52}(d, t){\mathrm{Cr}}^{51}$], and ${\mathrm{Cr}}^{50}(d, \alpha ){\mathrm{V}}^{48}$. The excitation function for ${\mathrm{Cr}}^{53}(d, n)$ was approximated by correcting for ${\mathrm{Cr}}^{54}(d, 2n)$ but the complex reactions yielding ${\mathrm{Cr}}^{51}$ could not be completely analyzed. Stacked chromium foils were bombarded, Mn, Cr, and V isolated chemically and the activities of relatively long-lived products measured with a calibrated scintillation counter. Absolute cross sections were calculated for several of the reactions and thick target yields as a function of deuteron energy were calculated for the production of ${\mathrm{Mn}}^{52}$, ${\mathrm{Mn}}^{54}$, ${\mathrm{Cr}}^{51}$, and ${\mathrm{V}}^{48}$. The energy loss of deuterons in chromium has been measured over the range of 3.8 to 13.6 Mev and some beam straggling data are presented.