Inclusive proton spectra from deuteron break-up: Theory and experiment

Abstract

Abstract Two silicon detector telescopes were used to measure continuous proton spectra at lab angles from 20° to 160° resulting from deuteron-induced reactions on targets of 27 Al, 62 Ni, 93 Nb, 119 Sn and 181 Ta at 25.5 MeV bombarding energy. The spectra show a prominent bump at around 15 MeV which is strongly rising at forward angles. Doubly differential cross sections, angle-integrated spectra and energy-integrated yields are compared with a new DWBA approach to deuteron break-up taking elastic and inelastic reactions of the break-up neutron with the target nucleus into account. The inelastic mode has a finite cross section at the maximum proton energy from break-up (zero neutron energy) and is generally stronger that the elastic one. The mass dependence of the experimental break-up yield corrected for equilibrium and preequilibrium contributions is discussed in connection with the limits of the present theory.