Eur. Phys. J. Plus (2021) 136: 746
https://doi.org/10.1140/epjp/s13360-021-01673-9

Regular Article

Measurement of cross sections for flux monitor reactions using quasi-monoenergetic neutrons

¹ The Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda, 390002, Vadodara, India
² Institute of Plasma Research, 382428, Gandhinagar, Gujarat, India
³ Nuclear Physics Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, 400085, Mumbai, India
⁴ Radiochemistry Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, 400085, Mumbai, India

^a vibhutivashi@gmail.com

Received: 19 January 2021
Accepted: 25 May 2021
Published online: 12 July 2021

Abstract

The reaction cross sections of ${}^{197}$Au(n,2n)${}^{196}$Au, ${}^{115}$In(n,n${}^{\prime }{)}^{115m}$In, ${}^{232}$Th(n,f)${}^{97}$Zr, and ${}^{238}$U(n,f)${}^{97}$Zr reactions were measured at different neutron energies using standard neutron activation analysis (NAA) technique followed by off-line $\gamma$-ray spectrometry. The irradiation was performed using the BARC-TIFR Pelletron facility in Mumbai, India. The quasi-monoenergetic neutron beam was generated using the ${}^7$Li(p,n)${}^7$Be reaction. The measured data are compared with available experimental data in the EXFOR database, different evaluated libraries such as ENDF/B-VIII.0, JEFF-3.3, JENDL-4.0, CENDL-3.1, IRDFF II, TENDL-2017 and with the results predicted using nuclear modular code TALYS-1.9. The TALYS-1.9 code was used for a better description of the present work and literature data. The reactions studied in the present paper are considered flux monitor reactions as they are widely used for the measurement of neutron flux in NAA-technique.