Investigation of the Energy Spectra of 14-MeV Neutron Generators

Abstract

The energy spectra of 14 MeV neutron generators of different types were measured using spectrometers with organic scintillators. Additional neutron peaks with energy less than 14 MeV, which are due to the neutrons produced in the ancillary reaction ²H + ²H = ³H + p, and neutrons generated in the material of the target blocks and the scintillation crystals of the spectrometers were identified in the neutron spectra of the generators. Specifically, a peak at 3.6 MeV was found in the resulting neutrons spectra; this peak is produced when carbon nuclei present in the scintillators of the spectrometers decay under the action of 14 MeV neutrons.