Quasi-Differential Neutron Scattering in Zirconium from 0.5 to 20 MeV

Abstract

High-energy-neutron-scattering experiments for elemental zirconium were performed at the electron linear accelerator facility at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. The scattering experiments were performed in the energy region from 0.5 to 20 MeV using the time-of-flight technique. The scattering system is composed of an array of eight EJ301 liquid scintillator detectors coupled to photomultiplier tubes. The detector array collects data simultaneously at various angles. The raw signals from each detector were digitized and transferred to a personal computer hard drive for storage. The digitized data were postprocessed, and pulse-shape analysis was performed to determine whether the pulse was the result of a gamma ray or a neutron being detected. The experimental results were compared with Monte Carlo transport calculations that simulated the experiment. This comparison was a way to benchmark several nuclear data libraries used in the Monte Carlo code. Ratios of the calculated data to the experimental data (C/E values) are presented and used to compare the nuclear data libraries. Results show that the experimentally observed scattering cross section is smaller than the one used in the evaluated libraries at energies between 10 and 20 MeV. For all energies and angles, the investigated nuclear data libraries agree with the experimental data to within 9%. Overall, the JEFF-3.1 and JENDL-4.0 libraries provide the best match to the experimental data.