MEASUREMENT OF (n,t) CROSS SECTIONS ON LIGHT NUCLEI


S.M. Qaim, A. Suhaimi, R. Wölfle and G. Stöcklin

Institut für Chemie 1 (Nuklearchemie)
Kernforschungsanlage Jülich GmbH,
5170 Jülich, Federal Republic of Germany


(n,t) reactions on 9Be, 10B and 14N were investigated via vacuum extraction and gas phase β- counting of accumulated tritium. For 9Be(n,t)7Li reaction integral cross sections were measured using d(Be) breakup neutrons (Ed = 17.5 to 30.0 MeV). The data agree within 20 % with the average cross sections derived from the excitation function of this reaction and the neutron spectral distributions. The 10B(n,t)2α reaction cross section at thermal neutron energy was found to be low (12.0 ± 2.5 mb). The 14N(n,t)12C reaction cross sections were measured over the neutron energy range of 5.0 to 10.6 MeV. The excitation function shows fluctuation and three peaks can be distinguished. The trend is attributed to the decay properties of the excited nuclear levels Involved.

KEYWORDS: (n,t) reaction, tritium extraction, gas phase β- counting, cross section, excitation function, integral data, excited nuclear level