The He 3+d→t+2p reaction

Abstract

The energy spectra of tritons produced in the d+He 3→t+2p reaction have ben obtained at numerous angles by bombardment of a He 3 gas target by 11.7 and 14.0 MeV deutrons, and of a deuterium gas target by 21 MeV He 3 ions. The spectra are markedly dependent on the angle of observation, but exhibit a shape which can be interpreted as influenced by a final state interaction in the residual two-proton system. Absolute cross sections were obtained. Mass identification was with ΔE and E detector pulses operating an analogue computer system. Spectral data were taken with various energy resolutions, FWHM in the range from 120 to 400 keV; laboratory angles from 4° to 36° were covered with an angular acceptance of better than 0.8°. The 14 and 21 MeV experiments were designed to cover practically the whole c.m. angular range. The angular distributions, parametrized in terms of residual energy of the di-proton system, show marked structure suggestive of both charge exchange and stripping mechanisms modulated in a complex fashion by the 2p final state interaction. The results suggest that in systems of this type final state interaction parameters cannot be extracted without detailed attention to the reaction mechanism. Comparison of this reaction channel with the elastic and the α+p exit channels indicates similarities which should be exploited in theoretical studies of this five-body system.