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E. Mendoza, D. Cano-Ott, C. Guerrero, E. Berthoumieux, G. Badurek, E. Jericha, H. Leeb, H. Oberhummer, -. n_TOF Collaboration et al.:
"Measurement and analysis of the ²⁴³Am neutron capture cross section at the n_TOF facility at CERN";
Physical Review C, 90 (2014), 034608; 1 - 16.

Background: The design of new nuclear reactors and transmutation devices requires to reduce the present neutron cross section uncertainties of minor actinides.

Purpose: Improvement of the ²⁴³Am(n,γ) cross section uncertainty.

Method: The ²⁴³Am(n,γ) cross section has been measured at the n_TOF facility at CERN with a BaF₂ total absorption calorimeter, in the energy range between 0.7 eV and 2.5 keV.

Results: The ²⁴³Am(n,γ) cross section has been successfully measured in the mentioned energy range. The resolved resonance region has been extended from 250 eV up to 400 eV. In the unresolved resonance region our results are compatible with one of the two incompatible capture data sets available below 2.5 keV. The data available in EXFOR and in the literature have been used to perform a simple analysis above 2.5 keV.

Conclusions: The results of this measurement contribute to reduce the ²⁴³Am(n,γ) cross section uncertainty and suggest that this cross section is underestimated up to 25% in the neutron energy range between 50 eV and a few keV in the present evaluated data libraries.

Radiative capture; Fission reactors; Neutron capture γ-rays; A >= 220

http://dx.doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevC.90.034608