Interaction of a high-energy proton beam with a thick target: A model description

We present a simple model to calculate energy distributions and multiplicities of the neutrons emitted in the interaction of a high-energy proton with a thick target. It is based on a dEdx formula proposed by Cugnon for the proton energy loss inside nuclear matter and on the assumption that the dissipated energy eventually becomes thermalized. Comparison with the results of existing codes and available data is made. An application to the determination of the sensitivity of multiplicities to various input parameters (e.g. the level density parameter) is described. The model is shown to provide further physical insight into the standard spallation codes.