An Assembly-Language Digital Division Computer Program for Use in Proton-Recoil Spectroscopy.

A computer program has been modified to circumvent the need for an analog divider for a neutron-energy spectrometer in use at the Harry Diamond Laboratories. The spectrometer is a proton-recoil system, and some division process is necessary to discriminate against gamma sensitivity of the gas proton-recoil detectors. The program is written in basic machine language for the minicomputer that controls spectrometer operation and collects and analyzes data. Coincident dual-parameter data energies of recoiling protons and pulse rise times are acquired by the program. The rise-time pulse-height distribution is divided by the energy distribution before storage in the computer memory. This normalization facilitates subtraction of the unwanted gamma sensitivity of the proton-recoil detectors, particularly at low neutron energies. The elimination of the analog divider improves performance and simplifies the operation of the spectrometer. Author