Preparation of thin metallic titanium foils as hydrogen targets

In a recently proposed study to resolve the discrepancy for the cross-section from the inverse reaction 21Ne(p,α)18F, important in calculations of asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stellar nucleosynthesis, a hydrogen target was required. Another important consideration for studying this reaction involves the isotopic abundance of Ne measured in stellar silicon carbide (SiC) grains found in meteorites. The measurement consists of the time-reversed reaction in inverse kinematics 1H(21Ne,α)18F at the resonance energy. Using a stable 21Ne beam, high currents are anticipated requiring a robust hydrogen-containing target. A metal hydride foil would be more apt to withstand the bombardment over a plastic polyethylene target. For this purpose we chose titanium hydride, as the easily produced titanium foils can be reacted with hydrogen to produce the needed targets. Details of the methods of production as well as target characteristics and performance are discussed.