Cross sections of the ¹⁴⁴Sm(n,α)¹⁴¹Nd and ⁶⁶Zn(n,α)⁶³Ni reactions at 4.0, 5.0 and 6.0 MeV

¹ Frank Laboratory of Neutron Physics, Joint Institute for Nuclear Research, Dubna 141980, Russia
² State Key Laboratory of Nuclear Physics and Technology, Institute of Heavy Ion Physics, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
³ Nuclear Research Centre, National University of Mongolia, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
⁴ Flerov Laboratory of Nuclear Reactions, Joint Institute for Nuclear Research, Dubna 141980, Russia
⁵ Institute of Experimental and Applied Physics, Czech Technical University in Prague, Horska

^a e-mail: ygledenov@gmail.com

Published online: 13 September 2017

Abstract

Cross sections of the ¹⁴⁴Sm(n,α)¹⁴¹Nd and ⁶⁶Zn(n,α)⁶³Ni reactions were measured at E_n = 4.0, 5.0 and 6.0 MeV performed at the 4.5-MV Van de Graaff Accelerator of Peking University, China. A double-section gridded ionization chamber was used to detect the alpha particles. The foil samples of ¹⁴⁴Sm₂O₃ and enriched ⁶⁶Zn were placed at the common cathode plate of the chamber. Monoenergetic neutrons were produced by a deuterium gas target through the ²H(d,n)³He reaction. The neutron flux was monitored by a BF₃ long counter. Cross sections of the ²³⁸U(n,f) reaction were used as the standard to perform the (n,α) reaction measurement. Present results are compared with existing measurements and evaluations. They are generally in agreement with TALYS-1.6 code calculations. For the ¹⁴⁴Sm(n,α)¹⁴¹Nd reaction our measurements support the data of JEF-2.2. For the ⁶⁶Zn(n,α)⁶³Ni reaction present results support the data of EAF-2010 and TENDL-2015 data.