I Nuclear Spallation: Calculating Neutrons per Reaction

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When a proton strikes a target with high energy, neutrons are produced. Is the number of neutrons produced calculatable, or random? This reaction would be proton-target fusion, followed by fission. Is the fission random, or is there a way to calculate the average neutrons per reaction? If so, which target materials produce the most neutrons per MeV of proton energy?
 
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The number of neutrons produced by an individual proton is not fixed, but you can calculate the average.
Aidan Davis said:
This reaction would be proton-target fusion
There is no proper intermediate nucleus at high proton energies.
Aidan Davis said:
If so, which target materials produce the most neutrons per MeV of proton energy?
Depends on the proton energy. There are various publications listing neutron yields for energy/target combinations.
Other considerations like lifetime of the target, cooling and so on are important as well.
 

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