https://doi.org/10.1140/epja/s10050-026-01889-2
Regular Article –Theoretical Physics
Study on the neutron characteristics of D-D reaction for incident deuteron energies up to 10 MeV
1
School of Nuclear Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, 730000, Lanzhou, China
2
Engineering Research Center for Neutron Application Technology, Ministry of Education, Lanzhou University, 730000, Lanzhou, China
3
MOE Frontiers Science Center for Rare Isotopes, Lanzhou University, 730000, Lanzhou, China
4
State Key Laboratory of Chemistry for NBC Hazards Protection, Lanzhou University, 730000, Lanzhou, China
5
Nuclear Power Institute of China, 610000, Chengdu, China
a
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Received:
7
January
2026
Accepted:
22
May
2026
Published online:
29
June
2026
Abstract
Owing to the scarcity of systematic experimental and theoretical data for the deuterium-deuterium (D-D) fusion reaction—particularly neutron yields, angular distributions, and energy spectra in the medium- to high-energy deuteron region—accurate characterization of D-D neutron sources remains challenging. In this work, the neutron emission characteristics of a thick titanium deuteride (TiDx) target bombarded by deuteron beams with energies up to 10 MeV are investigated, with emphasis on the energy range relevant to high-intensity linear accelerators. An improved multi-layer thin-target summation method suitable for thick-target conditions is developed and implemented to systematically evaluate neutron yield, angular distributions, and energy spectra. The results indicate that the neutron yield increases rapidly with deuteron energy below 2 MeV and gradually approaches a slower growth regime at higher energies. Under a 2 MeV deuteron beam and a TiD atomic ratio of 2.0, the neutron yield reaches nearly 1011 n/s/mA. The calculated angular distributions are generally consistent with available differential cross-section data. The neutron energy spectra exhibit pronounced angular dependence, with significant broadening at forward angles and quasi-monoenergetic emission predominantly at backward angles above 90°. Monte Carlo simulations using Geant4, PHITS, and FLUKA were also performed for comparison. These results provide essential reference data and theoretical support for the design, optimization, and energy tailoring of high-current linac-based D-D neutron sources.
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© The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Società Italiana di Fisica and Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature 2026
Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.
