Determination of excitation function for alpha induced reactions on 237Np and 238Pu

Abstract

The excitation function of the alpha particle-induced reactions on 237Np and 238Pu has been determined for the incident alpha energies ranging from threshold to 50 MeV using TALYS1.95 nuclear reaction code. In this study, the excitation function of (α,xn) reactions on 237Np and 238Pu has been determined by invoking the Jeukenne–Lejeune–Mahaux–Bruyeres Optical model potential. The microscopic nuclear level density from Hilaire’s combinatorial table is used to calculate the nuclear level density. Also, the excitation function has been evaluated by using the alpha potential of Watanabe folding approach with Koning–Delaroche spherical optical model potential and McFadden–Satchler potential. Furthermore, all the calculated cross-sections have been compared with the experimental results taken from EXFOR and the available evaluated cross-sections from TENDL2019 nuclear data library. The calculated cross sections using Jeukenne–Lejeune–Mahaux–Bruyeres Optical model potential together with microscopic nuclear level density from Hilaire’s combinatorial table incorporating the Skyrme–Hartree–Fock–Bogoliubov calculation results in good correspondence with the experimental values from EXFOR.