Neutron inelastic scattering in carbon-12, nitrogen-14, and oxygen-16

Abstract

Gamma radiation from the inelastic scattering of neutrons in C12 and O16 has been observed by Thompson and Risser using 14 MEV neutrons. Battat and Graves have measured the cross section for the production of 4.43 MEV gamma radiation from inelastic scattering of 14 MEV neutrons in C12 using a three crystal spectrometer. Day has measured the cross section for the production of gamma radiation from C12 using 6.58 MEV neutrons, from O16 using 7.06 MEV neutrons, and from N14 using 3.95 MEV neutrons. The purpose of the present experiment was to measure the cross section for the production of gamma radiation from C12, N14, and O16 as a function of neutron energy from threshold to a neutron energy of 10 MEV for C12 and O16, and to 8 MEV for N14. Since narrow resonances have been observed in the cross section for neutron scattering in this energy range, neutrons with a relatively small spread in energy are needed to obtain the true excitation curve.