The deuteron yield and momentum spectrum for targets of Be, C, Cu, and Pb bombarded by 1-, 2-, and 3-BeV protons from the Cosmotron has been found at angles of 0, 17, and 32°, using a magnetic spectrometer and time-of-flight telescope. The results cannot be explained in terms of a simple pickup, evaporation, or nucleon-nucleon statistical production process. Two other models involving two-stage processes have been proposed, namely, the indirect pickup process and a model in which nuclear matter "catalyzes" the coalescing of two cascade nucleons into a deuteron. Our results show that, at higher momenta in the deuteron spectrum, agreement can be obtained with the cascade theory. At the lower end of the momentum spectrum, deuterons may arise by the indirect pickup process.

• Received 14 June 1968

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRev.184.1034