THE NEUTRON YIELD FROM HEAVY ICE TARGETS BOMBARDED WITH PROTONS BELOW THE D(p, n)2p THRESHOLD

Abstract

In connection with some experiments on the gamma-ray yield from the D(p, γ)He3 reaction using heavy ice targets a considerable yield of neutrons was found even for proton bombarding energies well below the D(p, n)2p threshold of 3.3 Mev. The yield, excitation function, and angular distribution of this neutron yield have been investigated both experimentally and by means of theoretical calculations. These studies confirm the suggestion that the neutrons are produced by a secondary reaction in which deuterons, scattered in the target by incident protons, collide with further target deuterons to produce D(d, n)He3 reactions.