Experimental photoneutron cross sections of natural zirconium from 8 MeV to 134 MeV

Abstract

The inclusive partial photoneutron cross sections and the total photoneutron cross section\(\sigma ^{(1)} (E_\gamma ) = \sum\limits_{i = 1}^{i_{\max } } {\sigma (\gamma ,in...)} \) for natural Zr have been measured from 8 MeV to 134 MeV, with monochromatic photons obtained by in flight annihilation of monoenergetic positrons. The integrated total photoneutron cross section up tillEγ=140 MeV is (1.59±0.11)σ0, whereσ0 is the Thomas-Reiche-Kuhn sum-rule. The integrated total photonuclear absorption cross section is evaluated to be (1.73±0.15)σ0. The behaviour of the total photoneutron cross section as a function of Eγ, in the 40 MeV <Eγ<140 MeV energy range, is well described by a modified version of the quasideuteron model.