Energy Distribution of Protons from a Target Bombarded by 190-Mev Deuterons

Abstract

Previous experimental work by Helmholz, McMillan, and Sewell has shown that a narrow beam of high energy neutrons is produced when a beam of 190-Mev deuterons strikes a thin target. The mechanism for the production of the neutrons has been discussed by Serber, who describes a process in which the proton in the deuteron strikes the edge of a nucleus in the target and is stripped off, while the neutron misses and continues on its way. It is to be expected that an equal number of high energy protons are produced by stripping processes in which it is the neutron that hits the nucleus. These high energy protons have been detected by (1) carbon activation, and (2) photographic plates. Both methods give energy distributions in agreement with the energy distribution predicted for protons produced by the stripping process.