Probing the density dependence of the quantum molecular dynamics potential with spallation neutrons induced by 1.2 GeV protons on Al, Fe, Zr, and Pb

Abstract

The dependence of spallation neutron production double-differential cross sections on the density of the quantum molecular dynamics potential is investigated in $p$+Al, Fe, Zr, and Pb reactions at 1.2 GeV. It is shown that the cascade component of the neutron spectra is largely unaffected by the parameters of the density-dependent potential. As for the evaporative part ($<20$ MeV), some differences are marked only for Pb. Calculated results with a Skyrme-type equation of state of $K=300$ MeV reproduce the neutron spectra for the reactions under study.