A study of the Li(p,n)Be reaction by the neutron threshold technique

The reaction ⁶Li(p,n)⁶Be has been studied by slow-neutron detection, with particular attention to the ⁶Be ground state threshold. The detector response was calculated by a Monte Carlo technique and verified with a measurement of the ⁷Li(,n)¹⁰B threshold. An analysis of the shape of the ⁶Be threshold indicated that both s- and p-wave neutrons contribute significantly to the reaction. The results depend on what mode of decay is assumed for the ground state of ⁶Be. If a two-stage process is assumed, with either an alpha particle and an unbound diproton or ⁵Li and a proton as intermediate state, the width is found to be 95±28 keV and the Q-value obtained for the ⁶Li(p,n)⁶Be reaction is ?5074±13 keV. It was not possible to detertmine which process is predominant. No higher thresholds in the slow neutron yield up to 4 MeV of excitation in ⁶Be were observed. The data above the ground state threshold are consistent with a broad excited state of ⁶Be or with the occurrence of other neutron-producing reactions.