Neutrons from the Disintegration of Deuterium by Deuterons

Abstract

The excitation functions for the emission of neutrons from the two reactions ${}_1{}^{}{}_{}{}^{}\mathrm{H}_{}^2{}_{}{}^{}+{}_1{}^{}{}_{}{}^{}\mathrm{H}_{}^2{}_{}{}^{}\to {}_2{}^{}{}_{}{}^{}\mathrm{He}_{}^3{}_{}{}^{}+{}_0{}^{}{}_{}{}^{}n_{}^1{}_{}{}^{}$ and ${}_4{}^{}{}_{}{}^{}\mathrm{Be}_{}^9{}_{}{}^{}+{}_1{}^{}{}_{}{}^{}\mathrm{H}_{}^2{}_{}{}^{}\to {}_5{}^{}{}_{}{}^{}\mathrm{B}_{}^{10}{}_{}{}^{}+{}_0{}^{}{}_{}{}^{}n_{}^1{}_{}{}^{}$ have been investigated in the energy range from 0.5 to 0.9 MEV. In this interval the yield of neutrons from a $\mathrm{H}_3^{}{}_{}{}^2$P${\mathrm{O}}_4$ target increases nearly linearly with the bombarding energy while the yield from a Be target increases nearly exponentially. At 0.9 MEV three times as many neutrons were observed from the Be target as from the $\mathrm{H}_3^{}{}_{}{}^2$P${\mathrm{O}}_4$ target. At the lower voltage of 0.5 MEV only 1/3 as many neutrons came from the Be as from the $\mathrm{H}_3^{}{}_{}{}^2$P${\mathrm{O}}_4$. The neutrons from deuterium were found to be nearly homogeneous in energy with a maximum of 2.55 MEV when they are observed at right angles to the direction of the incident 0.5 MEV deuterons. The energy of the disintegration is 3.21±0.13 MEV.