Secondary light-ion transport from intermediate-energy hadron experiments

Abstract

The aim of this research is to produce double differential thick target yields, angular distributions and integrated yields for the inclusive production of neutrons, protons, deuterons, tritons, 3 He, and 4 He from intermediate heavy-ion interactions on thick targets of aluminium, polyethylene and other targets of interest to the radiation shielding program as specified by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). In tandem with the experimental research, transport model calculations of these thick target yields were also performed. The first such experimental run was conducted in May 2015, with the expectation of improved experimental results at a following March 2016 run at the NASA Space Radiation Laboratory (NSRL) on the campus of Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL). The May 2015 commissioning run served to test the electronics of the experimental setup, as well as the various detectors and other equipment under the conditions in which the following measurements will be run. The series of future accelerator-based experiments will rely on the inclusion of two separate upstream and downstream targets. Analysis of the data from both sets of detectors – liquid scintillator and sodium iodide – using both pulse height and time-of-flight methods will allow NASA to perform uncertainty quantification and sensitivity analysis on their transport codes and future shielding studies.