Isomeric cross section study of neutron induced reactions on Ge isotopes

¹ Department of Physics, National Technical University of Athens, Zografou campus, 15780 Athens, Greece.
² Tandem Accelerator Laboratory, Institute of Nuclear Physics, N.C.S.R. Demokritos, Aghia Paraskevi, 15310 Athens, Greece.

^* e-mail: vlastou@central.ntua.gr

Published online: 30 September 2020

Abstract

Cross sections for the ^70,76Ge(n,2n), ^72,73Ge(n,p) and ^72,74Ge(n, α) reactions have been measured at the 5.5 MV tandem T11/25 Accelerator Laboratory of NCSR Demokritos, using the activation technique. Neutron beams have been produced in the ~16-20 MeV energy region, by means of the ³H(d,n)⁴He reaction. The maximum flux has been determined to be of the order of 10⁵ n/cm² s, while the flux variation of the neutron beam was monitored by using a BF3 detector. The cross section has been deduced with respect to the ²⁷Al(n, α)²⁴Na and ⁹³Nb(n,2n)^92mNb reference reactions. The contaminations from reactions induced on neighboring Ge isotopes and leading to the same residual nucleus, have been taken into account. After the end of the irradiations, the activity induced by the neutron beams at the targets and reference foils, has been measured by HPGe detectors. Statistical model calculations using the EMPIRE code were performed on the data measured in this work as well as on data reported in literature.