Production of high-energy neutron beam from deuteron breakup

The deuteron breakup on heavy targets has been investigated in the framework of an improved quantum molecular dynamics model, focusing on the production of neutrons near zero degrees. The experimental differential cross sections of neutron production in the 102 MeV d+C reactions were reproduced by simulations. Based on the consistency between the model prediction and experiment, the feasibility of producing a neutron beam through the breakup of deuteron on a carbon target was demonstrated. Because of the nucleon Fermi motion inside the deuteron, the energy spectrum of the inclusive neutron near $$0^\circ$$ in the laboratory exhibits considerable energy broadening in the main peak, whereas the long tail on the low-energy side is suppressed. By coincidentally measuring the accompanying deuteron breakup proton, the energy of the neutron can be tagged with an intrinsic uncertainty of approximately 5% (1 $$\sigma$$ ). The tagging efficiency of the accompanying proton on the forward-emitted neutron can reach 90%, which ensures that the differential cross section in the (d,np) channel remains two orders higher than that in (p,n) after considering the measurement of accompanying protons. This enables the application of a well-defined energy neutron beam in an event-by-event scheme.