Thermal-neutron capture cross-section measurement of tantalum-181 using graphite thermal column at KUR

Nakamura, Shoji; Shibahara, Yuji*; Endo, Shunsuke; Kimura, Atsushi

Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology, 58(10), p.1061 - 1070, 2021/10

https://doi.org/10.1080/00223131.2021.1908187

In a well-thermalized neutron field, it is principally possible to drive a thermal-neutron capture cross-section without considering an epithermal neutron component. This was demonstrated by a neutron activation method using the graphite thermal column (TC-Pn) of the Kyoto University Research Reactor. First, in order to confirm that the graphite thermal column was a well-thermalized neutron field, neutron irradiation was performed with neutron flux monitors: Au, Co, Sc, Cu, and Mo. The TC-Pn was confirmed to be extremely thermalized on the basis of Westcott's convention, because the thermal-neutron flux component took a constant value regardless of the sensitivity of each flux monitor to epithermal neutrons. Next, as a demonstration, the thermal-neutron capture cross section of Ta(n,)Ta reaction was measured using the graphite thermal column, and then derived to be 20.50.4 barn, which supported the evaluated value of 20.40.3 barn. The Ta nuclide could be useful as a flux monitor that complements the sensitivity between Au and Mo monitors.