Nuclear Excitation Functions and Thick Target Yields: (Cr+ d )

Nuclear excitation functions and thick-target yields have been determined for several reactions which occur when chromium of natural isotopic composition is bombarded with deuterons of {~}15 Mev. The reactions are Cr⁵²(d, 2n)Mn⁵², [Cr⁵³(d, n)Mn⁵⁴, Cr⁵⁴(d, 2n)Mn⁵⁴], [Cr⁵⁰(d, p)Cr⁵¹, Cr⁵⁰(d, n)Mn⁵¹β→Cr⁵¹, Cr⁵²(d, t)Cr⁵¹], and Cr⁵⁰(d, α)V⁴⁸. The excitation function for Cr⁵³(d, n) was approximated by correcting for Cr⁵⁴(d, 2n) but the complex reactions yielding Cr⁵¹ could not be completely analyzed. Stacked chromium foils were bombarded, Mn, Cr, and V isolated chemically and the activities of relatively long-lived products measured with a calibrated scintillation counter. Absolute cross sections were calculated for several of the reactions and thick target yields as a function of deuteron energy were calculated for the production of Mn⁵², Mn⁵⁴, Cr⁵¹, and V⁴⁸. The energy loss of deuterons in chromium has been measured over the range of 3.8 to 13.6 Mev and some beam straggling data are presented.