Energy distribution and yield of neutrons from the (p,n) reaction in thick LiF targets

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Abstract

The zero degree yield and the energy spectra have been investigated of neutrons being produced by protons of Ep ⩽ 7 MeV in a thick natural LiF target, both experimentally by applying time-of-flight measurements and by a Monte Carlo simulation. While the experimental neutron energy spectra are disturbed by the neutron detector efficiency and by the finite time resolution of the apparatus (pulsed proton beam, time resolution of the neutron detector) the Monte Carlo simulation produces true energy spectra reflecting the energy dependence of the 7Li(p,n) cross section folded with the proton energy loss and beam energy uncertainty. The calculation correctly reproduces the experimental data for proton energies below Ep ⩽ 3 MeV, where competitive reactions do not contribute to the neutron yield. This agreement justifies a simulation-based monitoring of the neutron flux and the neutron energy distribution from a thick target.

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    Citation Excerpt :

    Measurements with fast neutrons were performed at the CN 7 MeV accelerator at the Laboratori Nazionali di Legnaro of INFN. A 4 MeV proton pulsed beam (2 ns of pulse width, 3 MHz of repetition rate, 250 nA of beam current) impinged onto a thick LiF target, producing neutrons with an energy of about 2.3 MeV (in forward direction) through the 7Li(p,n)7Be reaction [10]. Part of the neutrons was thermalized by means of a high density polyethylene moderator 6 cm thick placed in front of the detectors.

This work was supported in part by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft.

Present address: Max-Planck-Institut für Plasmaphysik, D-8046 Garching, FRG.

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