Recoil ranges of 2.73 MeV tritons and yields of 18F produced by the 16O(t,n)18F reaction in neutron-irradiated lithium compounds containing oxygen

The 16O(t,n)18F reaction induced by recoil tritons in neutron-irradiated crystalline lithium compounds containing oxygen has been studied with emphasis laid upon the determination of recoil triton ranges. The physical parameters required for quantitative description of successive (n,α) – (t,n) processes have been enumerated. The yields of 18F predicted from the calculation agreed well with the observed ones for a variety of lithium compounds. Mean cross sections, averaged over the triton recoil range, for the 16O(t,n)18F reaction in solids were rather constant [?F= (9.87±0.35) ×10−26 cm2] and were independent of the triton range. The triton ranges in polycrystalline substances can be determined from 18F yield measurements. Ranges derived from the present results include 6.2±0.4 mg cm−2 [Li2O(s)], 7.1±0.6 mg cm−2 [LiOH (s)], and 7.0±0.6 mg cm−2 [Li2CO3(s)].