Activation cross-section measurement of fast neutron-induced reactions in Al, Au, Bi, Co, F, Na, and Y

Abstract

This paper describes cross-section measurements by means of the neutron activation method using an accelerator-driven fast neutron source at the Nuclear Physics Institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences in Řež. It extends previous studies published in papers (Vrzalová et al. (2013); Chudoba et al. (2018)). A quasi-monoenergetic neutron source based on the p+Li(C) reaction was used to irradiate Al, Au, Bi, Co, NaF, and Y samples with neutrons at the energies of 17.5(10) MeV, 19.8(9) MeV and 27.5(7) MeV. Irradiated foils were analyzed by means of gamma-ray spectrometry and reaction yields were obtained. Cross sections of several fast neutron-induced reactions were determined on the basis of the measurement of neutron spectra and their corresponding reaction yields. The production cross sections of isomeric states were determined as well. This paper also describes the measurements of the positron emitters using annihilation gamma-ray spectrometry. The sources of uncertainties in the various parts of the experiment are discussed. The resulting cross sections might be useful for the further development of advanced nuclear reactors and fast neutron dosimetry.