A Study of theH3(d,n)He4Reaction

The nuclear reaction ${\mathrm{H}}^3\mathrm{}(d,n)\mathrm{}{\mathrm{He}}^4$ has been studied for deuteron energies from 10 kev up to 1732 kev. The yield curve exhibits a maximum at a deuteron energy of 109 kev, where the total cross section is 5.1±0.1 ×${10}^{-24\mathrm{}}$ ${\mathrm{cm}}^2$. The experimental data accurately fit a single level Briet-Wigner resonance curve for deuteron energies below 500 kev. Above this energy the experimental cross section is larger than predicted by a single level in the compound ${\mathrm{He}}^5$ nucleus.