An experimental study of direct and compound nuclear processes in neutron and deuteron induced reactions

Abstract

Although our knowledge of the interaction between nucleons is still far from complete, it has been clear for some time that internucleon forces have an extremely complex nature. However, even the consequences of a known simple interaction are difficult to predict for a many-body system such as the nucleus. A great deal of effort has therefore been spent on developing simple models each of which emphasises a particular aspect of nuclear structure. Two of these, the compound nucleus and direct interaction models, place emphasis on nuclear reactions; and since many of the experimental results reported in the following chapters can only be interpreted on the basis of one or the other of these two models, a brief outline of their properties is presented in this chapter.