Cross-Section Measurements of the 11B(p,α)2α Reaction near the First Resonant Energy

In preparation for an experiment with a laser-generated intense proton beam at the Laser Fusion Research Center at Mianyang to investigate the B-11(p,alpha)2 alpha reaction, we performed a measurement at very low proton energy between 140 keV and 172 keV using the high-voltage platform at the Institute of Modern Physics, Lanzhou. The aim of the experiment was to test the ability to use CR-39 track detectors for cross-section measurements and to remeasure the cross-section of this reaction close to the first resonance using the thick target approach. We obtained the cross-section sigma = 45.6 & PLUSMN; 12.5 mb near 156 keV. Our result confirms the feasibility of CR-39 type track detector for nuclear reaction measurement also in low-energy regions.

Automated summary

In this experiment, a low-energy proton measurement was conducted using a high-voltage platform at the Institute of Modern Physics, Lanzhou, to test the capability of CR-39 track detectors for cross-section measurements and to remeasure the cross-section of the B-11(p,alpha)2 alpha reaction near the first resonance. The obtained cross-section was found to be 45.6 ± 12.5 mb at around 156 keV, confirming the feasibility of using CR-39 track detectors for nuclear reaction measurements in low-energy regions.