The 13C($\alpha $,n)16O reaction: A background source for underground astrophysics measurements and geo-neutrino measurements.

In this study, we present results for a neutron spectroscopic study of the 13C($\alpha $,n)16O reaction between E$\alpha \quad =$ 3.5 and 7.5 MeV performed at the University of Notre Dame Nuclear Science Laboratory. The neutron spectroscopy measurement was performed with deuterated liquid scintillator detectors capable of extracting neutron energy spectra without neutron time-of-flight measurement using spectral unfolding technique [2]. This permitted extraction of the ground state contribution as well as excited state contributions to the total reaction cross section. The usefulness of this technique for the measurement of beam-induced neutron background sources in deep underground nuclear astrophysics measurements will be shown. Results showing the contributions of excited state components to the total cross section will be given and their implication to geo-neutrino measurements will be discussed. [1] S. Harissopulos, et al. Phys. Rev. C. (2005) [2] M. Febbraro, et al., NIM A784 (2015)