ENERGY DEPENDENCE OF POLARIZATION OF NEUTRONS FROM REACTION 3H(D N)4HE AT 70 DEGRESS (LAB) AND DEUTERON ENERGIES BELOW 2 MEV

The polarization of neutrons from the d-t reaction was measured at seven deuteron energies between 0.3 and 1.83 MeV at 70° (lab.). In a time-of-flight experiment with a high pressure helium gas scintillator as a scatterer the left and right scattered neutrons were detected in two plastic scintillators. The phase shifts from Hoop and Barschall were used to deduce neutron polarizations from scattering asymmetries. The neutron polarizations are at Ed=0.3, 0.6, 0.95, 1.26, 1.4, 1.56, 1.83 MeV respectively -0.5±1.3, -3.9±1.6, -4.2±1.1, -6.8±1.7, -11.7±1.4, -13.1 ±1.4, -13.5±1.2%. These results indicate that at deuteron energies as low as 0.3 MeV the d-t reaction has to be described by s-wave deuterons. © 1969 Springer-Verlag.