The use of neutron induced reactions for light element profiling and lattice localization

The isotopes 3He, 6Li, 7Be, and 10B exhibit extremely large cross sections (1-48 kb) for (n, p) or (n, α) reactions. In connection with now available neutron beams of 109-1010/cm2.s, these reactions represent a sensitive means of detecting the light elements in any heavy matrix material. Though the measured energy and angular distributions of the emitted protons or α particles, depth profiles as well as lattice locations of the above mentioned atoms are determined. In the present paper, the method is discussed and analyzed with respect to detection sensitivity, depth resolution, and feasibility of channeling/blocking experiments. In the latter case, the damage build-up during observation turns out to be negligible with thermal neutron induced reactions, while it can be prohibitive with charged particle reactions. (Auth.)