RECOIL RANGES OF 2.73 MEV TRITONS AND YIELDS OF F-18 PRODUCED BY THE O-16(T,N)F-18 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 [σF=(9.87±0.35)×10-26 cm 2] 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)]. © 1980 American Institute of Physics.