Abstract
Cross sections are reported for () and () reactions of with protons of 0.4, 1.0, 2.2, and 3.0 Bev. To evaluate the contribution of proton and neutron evaporation from excited nuclei to the observed cross sections, this evaporation competition was studied by means of cross-section measurements on the reactions and with particles of 19- to 40-Mev kinetic energy. The ratio is between 2.4 and 4.4 in this region as compared with a ratio of 1.58±0.14 for at 0.4 Bev. It is concluded that at this energy the () and () reactions proceed at least partially by a pure knock-on mechanism. This conclusion is supported by comparison of the data with recent Monte Carlo calculations of intranuclear cascades. With increasing proton energy both and are found to decrease, the former more rapidly than the latter. This energy dependence is discussed in terms of the elementary nucleon-nucleon cross sections. The Monte Carlo calculations mentioned agree within their rather poor statistical accuracy with the measured cross-section ratios and with the energy dependence of the cross sections, but predict cross-section values about a factor of three too small.
- Received 12 February 1958
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRev.110.1169
©1958 American Physical Society