Fast neutron production at the LNL Tandem from the $$^7$$ Li( $$^{14}$$ N,xn)X reaction
Pablo Torres-Sánchez (Instituto de Física Corpuscular, CSIC-University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain); Hans Steiger (Physics Department, Technical University of Munich, TUM School of Natural Sciences, James-Franck-Str. 1, Garching, 85748, Germany, Cluster of Excellence PRISMA+, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Staudingerweg 9, Mainz, 55128, Germany); Pierfrancesco Mastinu (Legnaro Division, Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, viale dell’Università 2, Legnaro, 35020, Italy); Jeffery Wyss (Padova Division, Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, via Marzolo 8, Padua, 35131, Italy, Dipartimento di Ingegneria Civile e Meccanica, University of Cassino and Southern Lazio, via G. Di Biasio 43, Cassino (FR), 03043, Italy); Lennard Kayser (Physics Department, Technical University of Munich, TUM School of Natural Sciences, James-Franck-Str. 1, Garching, 85748, Germany); et al - Show all 14 authors
Fast neutron beams (E $$_n > $$ 1 MeV) are of relevance for many scientific and industrial applications. This paper explores fast neutron production using a TANDEM accelerator at the Legnaro National Laboratories, via an energetic ion beam (90 MeV $$^{14}N$$ ) onto a lithium target. The high energy models for nuclear collision of FLUKA foresee large neutron yields for reactions of this kind. The experiment aimed at validating the expected neutron yields from FLUKA simulations, using two separate and independent set-ups: one based on the multi-foil activation technique, and the other on the time of flight technique, by using liquid scintillator detectors. The results of the experiment show clear agreement of the measured spectra with the FLUKA simulations, both in the shape and the magnitude of the neutron flux at the measured positions. The neutron spectrum is centered around the 8 MeV range with mild tails, and a maximum neutron energy spanning up to 50 MeV. These advantageous results provide a starting point in the development of fast neutron beams based on high energy ion beams from medium-sized accelerator facilities.