Cross sections for the Cl35(n,α)P32 reaction in the 3.3–5.3 MeV neutron energy region

Abstract

Cross sections for the $^{35}\mathrm{Cl}(n,\ensuremath{\alpha})\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}^{32}\mathrm{P}$ reaction were systematically measured at incident neutron energies in the range of 3.3 to 5.3 MeV. The experiment was carried out on the Van de Graaff accelerator EG-5 at the Frank Laboratory of Neutron Physics, Joint Institute for Nuclear Research, Russia. Fast neutrons were produced in the reaction $^{2}\mathrm{H}(d,n){\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}}^{3}\text{He}$. Alpha particles from the ($n,\ensuremath{\alpha}$) reactions were detected using a gridded ionization chamber (GIC) in which various $^{35}\mathrm{Cl}$ samples (NaCl and ${\text{BaCl}}_{2}$, on a tantalum backing) were placed back to back. The relative and absolute neutron fluxes were measured by two samples of $^{238}\mathrm{U}_{3}\mathrm{O}_{8}$ ($99.999%$) inside the GIC. Data obtained in this measurement were compared with other experimental data of the existing library and theoretical calculations by the talys code. Presented data for the $^{35}\mathrm{Cl}(n,\ensuremath{\alpha})\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}^{32}\mathrm{P}$ reaction should help to clarify discrepancies in the various published nuclear data.