Book Description

The prompt gamma rays resulting from the interaction of 14.7 MeV neutrons with the nuclei of the elements sodium, sulfur, chlorine, potassium and lead, were investigated. Cross sections for the production of many of these gamma rays were measured by observing them with a carefull shielded detector during neutron bombardment of a given elemental sample. It was found that the n, n'-gamma process generally predominates and that gamma rays resulting from the deexcitation of the lowest energy levels, with one or two notable exceptions, are usually most prominent. Gamma rys attributable to n, p-gamma, n, alpha-gamma, and n, d-gamma process were also observed. In chlorine and potassium, gamma rays attributable to the n, d-gamma process are unusually preponderant. Some of the most important gamma rays were found to have the following elemental production cross sections (in millibarns per steradian at 90 deg): 0.44 MeV gamma ray from Na, 39.5 plus or minus 4.5; 2.24 MeV gamma ray from S, 15.3 plus or minus 1.7; 2.15 MeV gamma ray from Cl, 17.1 plus or minus 2.0; 2.17 MeV gamma ray from K, 19.3 plus or minus 2.5; 2.62 MeV gamma ray from Pb, 20.3 plus or minus 2.7. (Author).