Simulation of neutron production in hadron-nucleus and nucleus-nucleus interactions in Geant4

Abstract

Studying experimental data obtained at ITEP [1] on neutron production in interactions of protons with various nuclei in the energy range from 747 MeV up to 8.1 GeV, we have found that slow neutron spectra have scaling and asymptotic properties [2]. The spectra weakly depend on the collision energy at momenta of projectile protons larger than 5 - 6 GeV/c. These properties are taken into account in the Geant4 Fritiof (FTF) model. The improved FTF model describes as well as the Geant4 Bertini model the experimental data on neutron production by 1.2 GeV and 1.6 GeV protons on targets (Fe, Pb) [3] and by 3.0 GeV protons on various targets (Al, Fe, Pb) [4]. For neutron production in antiproton-nucleus interactions, it was demonstrated that the FTF results are in a satisfactory agreement with experimental data of the LEAR collaboration [5]. The FTF model gives promising results for neutron production in nucleus - nucleus interactions at projectile energy 1 - 2 GeV per nucleon [6]. The observed properties allow one to predict neutron yields in the nucleus-nucleus interactions at high and very high energies. Predictions for the NICA/MPD experiment at JINR are presented.