Binding Energy of the Deuteron Measured with a Bent Crystal Spectrometer

Abstract

The binding energy of the deuteron was determined by measuring the energy of the neutron-proton capture gamma ray with a 2-meter bent quartz crystal spectrometer in the Cauchois geometry. A polyethylene target in the throughtube of a reactor supplied the n-p capture gamma rays. The 411.77-kev gamma ray of Hg/ sup 198/ and the annihilation radiation were used to calibrate the spectrometer. The average of the results of four plates gives 2.225 plus or minus 0.003 Mev for the binding energy of the deuteron. (auth)