Differential Cross Sections forO16(d, n)F17

Abstract

The absolute differential cross sections for neutrons from the ${\mathrm{O}}^{16}(d, n){\mathrm{F}}^{17}$ reaction which leave ${\mathrm{F}}^{17}$ in its ground and first excited state (0.5-Mev) level have been obtained using a gas-recoil fast neutron spectrometer and C${\mathrm{O}}_2$ gas targets. The estimated target thickness was about 150 kev and the average bombarding energy at target center was 5.02 Mev. An $L_p=2\mathrm{}$ distribution has been found for the ground state and an $L_p=0\mathrm{}$ distribution for the 0.5-Mev level with the following c.m. differential cross sections in mb/sr at peak: 27 and 138 with estimated uncertainties of ±15%. The dimensionless reduced width ${\theta }^2$ obtained from the differential cross section for neutrons which leave ${\mathrm{F}}^{17}$ in its ground state was approximately 0.025. Agreement of theoretical curves with the experimental points was poor at small angles. The value of ${\theta }^2$ for the 0.5-Mev level was found to be 0.15 employing a curve fitting technique modification suggested by Macfarlane and French. Since ${\mathrm{C}}^{12}$ was present in the target, laboratory system differential cross sections at 0°, 20°, and 30° for the ${\mathrm{C}}^{12}(d, n){\mathrm{N}}^{13}$ reaction (2.37-Mev) level are reported.