Reactor activations to constrain astrophysically relevant cross sections

¹ Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany
² Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany
³ University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom
⁴ Michigan State University, USA

Published online: 24 February 2022

Abstract

The determination of astrophysically relevant neutron-induced cross sections is particularly difficult when the involved isotopes are radioactive or the cross sections are very small. Activation experiments at reactors offer the possibility to overcome these limitations with high neutron fluxes. The flux determination is typically based on the activation of two monitors with known cross sections to separate the different flux components. The usually applied cadmium difference method allows a distinction between the thermal and the epithermal part. By a combination of two linear functions representing both monitors the neutron flux components can be determined. However, if more than two monitors are used, the linear system of equations is overdetermined, which allows the identification of a probability distribution. In this proceeding, the feasibility and relevance of this method is demonstrated.