Determination of the 151Eu(n,γ)[formula omitted]Eu and 153Eu(n,γ)154Eu Reaction Cross Sections at Thermal Neutron Energy

Abstract

We have measured partial γ-ray cross sections following neutron capture in enriched 151Eu and 153Eu targets at the cold-neutron-beam facility of the Budapest Research Reactor. The cross sections were standardized using a stoichiometric natEuCl3 target with the well-known 1951-keV γ-ray cross section from the 35Cl(n,γ)36Cl reaction at the cold-neutron-beam facility of the Garching Research Reactor. The γ-ray cross sections were corrected for effective g-factors. These data were combined with the structural information of 152Eu and 154Eu given in the Evaluated Nuclear Structure Data File to produce capture γ-ray level schemes. The total radiative capture cross sections of the 151Eu(n,γ)152m1,gEu and 153Eu(n,γ)154Eu reactions were determined by summing the experimental transition intensities from known levels with simulated intensities of transitions from higher excitations to the ground- or metastable-state. The individual 151Eu(n,γ)152m1Eu and 151Eu(n,γ)152gEu reaction cross sections disagree with values in the literature. However, the total cross section of the 151Eu(n,γ)152Eu reaction does agree with those values. Also, our deduced cross section for the 153Eu(n,γ)154Eu reaction closely follows the data in the literature. These results are supported by an earlier standardization experiment done at the Budapest Research Reactor using a target of Eu2O3 solution in H2SO4.