Measurements of neutron capture cross sections on Zn70 at 0.96 and 1.69 MeV

Abstract

The cross sections of the $^{70}\mathrm{Zn}(n,\ensuremath{\gamma})\phantom{\rule{0.28em}{0ex}}^{71}\mathrm{Zn}^{\mathrm{m}}\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}({T}_{1/2}=3.96\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.05\text{\ensuremath{-}}\mathrm{h})$ reaction have been measured relative to the $^{197}\mathrm{Au}(n,\ensuremath{\gamma})^{198}\mathrm{Au}$ cross sections at 0.96 and 1.69 MeV using a $^{7}\mathrm{Li}(p,n)\phantom{\rule{0.28em}{0ex}}^{7}\mathrm{Be}$ neutron source and activation technique. The cross section of this reaction has been measured for the first time in the MeV region. The new experimental cross sections have been compared with the theoretical prediction by talys-1.6 with various level-density models and $\ensuremath{\gamma}$-ray strength functions as well as the tendl-2015 library. The talys-1.6 calculation with the generalized superfluid level-density model and Kopecky-Uhl generalized Lorentzian $\ensuremath{\gamma}$-ray strength function predicted the new experimental cross sections at both incident energies. The $^{70}\mathrm{Zn}(n,\ensuremath{\gamma})\phantom{\rule{0.28em}{0ex}}^{71}\mathrm{Zn}^{\mathrm{g}+\mathrm{m}}$ total capture cross sections have also been derived by applying the evaluated isomeric ratios in the tendl-2015 library to the measured partial capture cross sections. The spectrum averaged total capture cross sections derived in the present paper agree well with the jendl-4.0 library at 0.96 MeV, whereas it lies between the tendl-2015 and the jendl-4.0 libraries at 1.69 MeV.