Experimental setup and procedure for the measurement of the 7Be(n,p)7Li reaction at n_TOF

TL;DR

This paper details the experimental setup used at CERN's n_TOF facility to measure the 7Be(n,p)7Li reaction, providing crucial data for understanding Big Bang Nucleosynthesis and the cosmological Lithium problem.

Contribution

It introduces a new experimental setup and procedure for measuring the 7Be(n,p)7Li reaction at n_TOF, addressing gaps in cross section data relevant to cosmology.

Findings

Successful measurement of the 7Be(n,p)7Li reaction cross section.

Characterization of the experimental setup and its capabilities.

Data contributing to resolving the Lithium abundance discrepancy in cosmology.

Abstract

Following the completion of the second neutron beam line and the related experimental area (EAR2) at the n_TOF spallation neutron source at CERN, several experiments were planned and performed. The high instantaneous neutron flux available in EAR2 allows to investigate neutron indiced reactions with charged particles in the exit channel even employing targets made out of small amounts of short-lived radioactive isotopes. After the successful measurement of the 7Be(n,{\alpha}){\alpha} cross section, the 7Be(n,p)7Li reaction was studied in order to provide still missing cross section data of relevance for Big Bang Nucleosynthesis (BBN), in an attempt to find a solution to the cosmological Lithium abundance problem. This paper describes the experimental setup employed in such a measurement and its characterization.