The Breakup Cross Section of the D+D Reaction at 6.94 MeV

¹ Ohio University, Athens, OH 45701, USA
² University of Vermont, Burlington, VT 05405, USA

^a e-mail: ar286106@ohio.edu
^b deceased

Published online: 25 March 2016

Abstract

The D+D reactions are well known and widely used for a variety of purposes, mainly because of the use of the D(d, n)³He reaction as a mono-energetic neutron source. The least studied of the D+D reactions is the D(d, n)pD reaction known as the deuteron breakup reaction, which produces a continuum of neutrons at energies below the monoenergetic peak. The neutron energy distribution as a function of angle for the cross section, $$\frac{d^2\sigma }{d\Omega dE}$$, of the D(d,n)pD reaction has been measured using a 6.94-MeV pulsed deuteron beam incident upon a D₂ gas target. The time-of-flight technique was used to determine the energy of the neutrons detected in an array of two lithium glass scintillators and one NE-213 scintillator. The breakup cross section was determined as low as 225-keV neutron energy in the lithium glass detectors.