²⁴¹Am Neutron Capture Cross Section in the keV region using Si and Fe-filtered neutron beams

ABSTRACT

The neutron capture cross-section of ²⁴¹Am was measured in the keV neutron range using the recently implemented neutron filtering system of the Accurate Neutron-Nucleus Reaction Measurement Instrument (ANNRI) beamline in the materials and life science (MLF) facility of the Japan Proton Accelerator Research Complex (J-PARC). Filter arrays consisting of 20 cm of ^natFe and ^natSi were employed in separate measurements to provide filtered neutron beams with averaged neutron energies of 23.5 (Fe), 51.5 and 127.7 (Si) keV. The present ²⁴¹Am results were obtained relative to the ¹⁹⁷Au neutron capture yield by applying the total energy detection principle together with the pulse-height weighting technique. The ²⁴¹Am neutron capture cross-section was determined as 2.72(29) b at 23.5 keV, 2.14(26) b at 51.5 keV and 1.32(10) b at 127.7 keV with total uncertainties in the range of 8 to 12%, much lower in comparison to the latest time-of-flight experimental data available.

Graphical Abstract

KEYWORDS:

• ²⁴¹Am
• neutron capture cross-section
• J-PARC
• ANNRI
• MLF
• minor actinide
• neutron filter

Acknowledgments

The neutron experiments at the MLF of the J-PARC were performed under the user program (Proposal 2021P0301).

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).