Theoretical calculation of neutron cross sections for 90,91,92,94,96Zr in the incident energy range between 200 keV and 20 MeV

Abstract

ABSTRACT Neutron cross sections of 90,91,92,94,96Zr were calculated in the incident energy (En ) range from 200 keV to 20 MeV for the revision of the 4th version of the Japanese Evaluated Nuclear Data Library (JENDL-4.0). The calculation was carried out by using conventional nuclear reaction models such as the spherical optical model, the distorted wave Born approximation, preequilibrium models, and the multi-step statistical model. Parameter values of these nuclear models were adjusted with the aid of experimental cross sections which were published after the JENDL-4.0 evaluation. Cross sections were computed for total, elastic and inelastic scattering, (n, γ), (n, 2n), (n, p), (n, α), (n, nα), and (n, x) = (n, d) + (n, np) reactions, and they were almost consistent with the experimental data. The cross sections were also estimated for the metastable states with the half-life larger than 1 sec. The obtained results well reproduced measured cross sections for the reactions 90Zr(n, 2n)89m Zr, 91Zr(n, x)90m Y and 91Zr(n, nα)87m Sr.