Statistical theory of light nucleus reaction and application to $^9$Be(p, xn) reaction

TL;DR

This paper introduces a statistical theory (STLN) for light nucleus reactions, combining models to accurately predict neutron and light charged particle emissions, validated by calculations matching experimental data for the $^9$Be(p, xn) reaction.

Contribution

The paper develops a unified statistical framework (STLN) incorporating Coulomb barriers and recoil effects for light nucleus reactions, with a new computational tool (PUNF) for data library generation.

Findings

Excellent agreement with experimental neutron double-differential cross sections at 18 MeV.

PUNF code effectively models light nucleus reactions involving 1p-shell nuclei.

STLN provides a comprehensive approach for reaction data prediction.

Abstract

A statistical theory of light nucleus reaction (STLN) is proposed to describe both neutron and light charged particle induced nuclear reactions with 1p-shell light nuclei involved. The dynamic of STLN is described by the unified Hauser-Feshbach and exciton model, of which the angular momentum and parity conservations are considered in equilibrium and pre-equilibrium processes. The Coulomb barriers of the incident and outgoing charged particles, which seriously influence the open reaction channels, could be reasonably considered in the incident channel and the different outgoing channels. In kinematics, the recoiling effects in various emission processes are taken strictly into account. Taking $^9$Be(p, xn) reaction as an example, we calculate the double-differential cross sections of outgoing neutrons and charged particles using PUNF code in the frame of STLN. The calculated results agree very well with the existing experimental neutron double-differential cross sections at $E_p=18$ MeV, and indicate that PUNF code is a powerful tool to set up file-6 in the reaction data library for the light charged particle induced nuclear reactions with 1p-shell light nuclei involved.