Secondary fusion reactions in the bombardment of light-element targets with low-energy heavy ions

Neutron emission was observed experimentally at the DC-60 cyclotron at the Institute of Nuclear Physics (Astana, Kazakhstan). The neutron yields were measured in the bombardment of light-element (Be, C, Al, Al₂O₃, and LiF) targets with heavy ions (Ar, Kr, and Xe) with energies below the Coulomb barrier. The angular distributions of neutrons from the targets were also measured. It was found that the observed neutrons were produced in secondary nuclear reactions between the resting target nuclei and recoil nuclei that acquire energy in the process of elastic scattering. The experimental results were compared with calculations based on the abovementioned secondary-reaction mechanism. The calculations allow one to estimate the yields of secondary reactions to within a coefficient of 2.