Cross section measurements of Gd(n,) induced by thermal and epithermal neutrons

Mastromarco, M.*; Manna, A.*; Aberle, O.*; Andrzejewski, J.*; Harada, Hideo   ; Kimura, Atsushi   ; n_TOF Collaboration*; 116 of others*

Neutron capture cross section measurements on Gd and Gd were performed using the time-of-flight technique at the n_TOF facility at CERN on isotopically enriched samples. The measurements were carried out in the n TOF experimental area EAR1, at 185m from the neutron source, with an array of 4 CD liquid scintillation detectors. At a neutron kinetic energy of 0.0253eV, capture cross sections of 62.2(2.2) and 239.8(8.4) kilobarn have been derived for Gd and Gd, respectively, with up to 6% deviation relative to values presently reported in nuclear data libraries, but consistent with those values within 1.6 standard deviations. A resonance shape analysis has been performed in the resolved resonance region up to 181eV and 307eV, respectively for Gd and Gd, where on average, resonance parameters have been found in good agreement with evaluations. Above these energies and up to 1keV, the observed resonance-like structure of the cross section has been analysed and characterised. From a statistical analysis of the observed neutron resonances we deduced: neutron strength function of 2.01(28) 10 and 2.17(41) 10; average total radiative width of 106.8(14)meV and 101.1(20)meV and s-wave resonance spacing 1.6(2)eV and 4.8(5)eV for n + Gd and n + Gd systems, respectively.