Deuteron breakup induced by 14-MeV neutrons from inertial confinement fusion

Abstract

Measurements are reported for the angle-averaged double-differential cross section ${\ensuremath{\langle}{d}^{2}\ensuremath{\sigma}/\phantom{\ensuremath{\sigma}d{E}_{n}d{\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Omega}}}_{n}}\phantom{\rule{0.0pt}{0ex}}d{E}_{n}d{\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Omega}}}_{n}\ensuremath{\rangle}}_{{0}^{\ensuremath{\circ}}l\ensuremath{\theta}l7.{4}^{\ensuremath{\circ}}}$ for the breakup reaction $^{2}\mathrm{H}$($n,2n$)$^{1}\mathrm{H}$, induced by 14-MeV neutrons generated using an inertial confinement fusion platform. A bright neutron source, created on the OMEGA Laser System [Boehly et al., Opt. Commun. 133, 495 (1997)] with a luminosity of $L={10}^{24}\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}{\mathrm{s}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$, was used to irradiate deuterated targets. The absolute yields and energy spectra from the breakup neutrons emitted in a forward-angle geometry ($\ensuremath{\theta}={0}^{\ensuremath{\circ}}$ to 7.4\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}) were detected with a sensitive, high-dynamic-range neutron time-of-flight spectrometer. The cross-section data, measured for neutron energy range from 0.5 to 10 MeV, is well reproduced by a theoretical calculation employing realistic nucleon--nucleon and three-nucleon forces.