AbstractsPhysics

A study has been made of the fast neutron induced reactions in natural neon gas. The neon was contained in a cylindrical geometry fast gridded ionization chamber, and the irradiating monokinetic neutrons were obtained by bombarding thin heavy ice targets with monokinetic deuterons accelerated by the U.B.C. Van de Graaff accelerator. Pulse height analysis, after amplification of the pulses, gave the energy distribution of the induced reactions, the primary reaction proceeding being Ne²⁰(n,∝)O¹⁷, with two alpha groups resulting from transitions to both the ground and first excited state of the O¹⁷ nucleus. The excitation function showed the existence of resonances in the Ne²¹ compound nucleus at the following energies, in Mev 10.04, 10.20, 10.32, 10.46, 10.63, 10.90, 11.06, 11.33, 11.44, 11.63, 11.76, 11.88, 11.96, 12.05 and 12.24. The total (n,∝) cross section varies from 90 mb to 500 mb in this energy range.