Experimental and theoretical study of continuous proton spectra from high-energy deuteron induced reactions

Abstract

Inclusive proton spectra were measured from 80 MeV deuteron-induced reactions on 27Al, 93Nb and 197Au targets. At forward angles the spectra exhibit broad deuteron break-up peaks centered around one-half of the incident deuteron energy for all the nuclei studied. Double-differential as well as angle-integrated cross sections in the bump region are well reproduced by calculations in the framework of the DWBA approach to break-up taking elastic and inelastic reactions of the neutron with the target nucleus into account. Like the observation made in case of low-energy deuteron break-up as well as in high-energy alpha break-up, the inelastic break-up is found to be a dominant reaction mode at this higher deuteron energy also. The preequilibrium contributions to the outgoing proton spectra have also been calculated. The analysis of the experimental data has been discussed in the light of these two different reaction mechanisms. It is found that these two reaction mechanisms put together provide a good overall description of the experimental proton spectra.