Abstract
Ion beams of or , between 1 and 2 Mev in kinetic energy, produced in a Van de Graaff accelerator were used to bombard targets containing light elements and some of the induced nuclear reaction products were detected. Detection was by observation of the induced radioactivity, or by counting charged particles, or by activation of copper by means of the fast neutrons produced. Existence of the following reactions was demonstrated: Yield vs bombarding-energy curves were obtained for the Li-Li reactions and the reaction producing . Resonances in the yield were not observed. Some of the reactions are capable of producing neutrons of 20-Mev energy; the existence of neutrons above 11 Mev was demonstrated by initiating the reaction , which requires this energy.
A search for the production of from the reaction (, ) through the range of bombarding energy indicated by the mass range through which would be stable against heavy-particle breakup gave a null result, indicating that is unstable.
Estimates for the yield at 2-Mev bombarding energy were made for all reactions except that leading to .
- Received 17 July 1957
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRev.108.754
©1957 American Physical Society