1

How free neutrons with a certain kinetic energy are produced in laboratory? For example in nuclear fission $n$ free neutrons are produced, are there other methods?

Salmon
  • 901
  • 4
    Is there a reason that the Wikipedia article is insufficient? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neutron_source – probably_someone Jun 16 '20 at 14:45
  • Given that the range of neutron energies used in experiments ranges from thermal (~meV) to 14MeV or higher, could you narrow things down at least a bit? Not surprisingly, over the 9+ orders of magnitude in neutron energy the process to make them changes. – Jon Custer Jun 16 '20 at 15:48

1 Answers1

2

In the lab at my school, we used the T(p,n)He-3 reaction to produce neutrons. We used a Van De Graffe accelerator to accelerate protons and have them impinge on a Tritium gas cell. The energy of the neutrons was dependent on the energy of the protons. We also accelerated Deuterons and used the D(d,n) reaction to produce neutrons. Producing neutrons this way was convenient for producing mono-energetic neutrons. We did low energy neutron scattering and with the 7 MeV Van De Graph Generator we produced neutrons from 2 to 20 Mev. There are many other (p,n) reactions for neutron production.

Natsfan
  • 2,652