Neutron-Electron Interaction proposed by Kikuchi

Abstract

IT is known that a Geiger-Muller counter operated near a source of fast neutrons gives a rather large number of counts. Kikuchi, Aoki and Husimi1,2, working with a D-D source of neutrons, have postulated that these counts arise in part from a direct interaction of fast neutrons with electrons in the thin lead foil surrounding their counter. However, the recent discovery by Kallmann and Kuhn3 that gamma-rays are emitted in the D-D reaction seems to offer a simple and more satisfactory explanation for the phenomena observed by Kikuchi and co-workers. Confirmatory evidence is the discovery by Bonner4 of two groups of neutrons from the D-D reaction.