I Nuclear Spallation: Calculating Neutrons per Reaction

[Aidan Davis]

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?

 

[mfb]

The number of neutrons produced by an individual proton is not fixed, but you can calculate the average.

This reaction would be proton-target fusion

There is no proper intermediate nucleus at high proton energies.

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.