Book Description

The prompt gamma rays resulting from the interaction of 14.7 MeV neutrons with the nuclei of the elements magnesium, aluminum, calcium, titanium and iron have been investigated. Cross sections for the production of many of these gamma rays have been measured by observing them with a carefully shielded detector during neutron bombardment of a given elemental sample. It is found that the n, n'-gamma process predominates and that gamma rays resulting from the deexcitation of the lowest energy levels, with one or two notable exceptions, are generally most prominent. Other processes including n, p-gamma, n, alpha-gamma, and n, d-gamma are also observed. Some of the most improtant gamma rays are found to have the following elemental production cross sections (in millibarns per steradian at 90 deg): 1:37 Mev gamma ray from Mg, 30. 9= 3.1; 1.81 MeV gamma ray from Al, 13.7= 2.0; 3.73 Mev gamma ray from Ca, 9.0= 1.4; 0.99 Mev gamma ray from Ti, 51.9= 5.2; and 0.85 MeV gamma ray from Fe, 57.6= 5.8. (Author).