THE OCCURRENCE OF (n, 3n) REACTIONS IN A NUCLEAR REACTOR

Abstract

The reactions Bi209(n, 3n)Bi207 and Au197(n, 3n)Au195 have been observed to occur in NRX, a thermal neutron reactor. Competing reactions leading from Bi209 or Au197 to the same products have been shown to be negligible. Within the uncertainties of the methods used the yields of Bi207 and Au195 are about those expected on the basis of neutron evaporation from the compound nucleus formed by the amalgamation of the incoming neutron and the target nucleus.