Proton Induced Radioactivity in Oxygen

Abstract

Proton Induced Radioactivity in OxygenAs previously reported 1,2 a large number of elements are found to become radioactive under bombardment by protons of energies up to 3.8 Mev. Two periods have been definitely established for oxygen, using targets of quartz and other solid oxides as well as a platinum foil in oxygen. The short period of 1.28±0.10 min. is at once identified with the well-known F 17 formed by the capture of a proton by O 16 . The activity becomes detectable at a proton energy of 1.4 Mev rising rapidly to about 3 Mev and then more slowly (thick target).The second period of 107±4 min. is shown by chemical separation to be due also to an isotope of fluorine and is close to the 112 min. period found by Snell 3 for F 18 . This period must be attributed to the reaction Fi8-^o i8 -f-e + .