Neutron Production at High Energies

Abstract

Neutron yields from several targets bombarded by deuterons, protons, neutrons, and He3 ions with energies of hundreds of Mev were measured by detecting the neutrons with MnSO4 solution. The effect of secondary targets of U and Th in multiplying the primary yield was investigated, and the energy dependence for Be and U targets bombarded by deuterons was measured for energies between 90 and 320 Mev. The data were analyzed in terms of the average number of neutrons produced in an inelastic collision; the largest number observed was 17 for 340-Mev protons bombarding U. The data are in reasonable agreement with evaporational theory and Monte Carlo calculations.