Study of the Cross Sections of Fast Neutron Induced (n,2n), (n,p) and (n, a) Reactions on the Isotopes of Zinc, Germanium, Scandium and Zirconium

Abstract

The fast neutron induced reaction cross sections were studied systematically in the energy range of I3.82 to 14.71 MeV using the neutron generator facility under identical conditions in order to provide real nuclear data required in the fusion reactor design and in developing semiconductor technology. In the present investigation, the activation cross section data for 64Zn(n,2n)63Zn, 64Zn(n,p)64Cu, 70Zn(n,2n)69mzn, 70Ge( n,2n )69Ge, 74Ge(n,a) 71mzn, 76Ge( n,2n) 75m+gGe, 45Sc( n,2n )44mSc and 90Zr( n,2n )89Zr reactions in the energy range of 13.82 to 14.71 MeV were measured in an unified experimental condition. High purity samples of natural isotopic compositions were used. Each sample was irradiated separately by neutrons. Monoenergetic neutrons were produced via 3H(d,n)4I-Ie reaction at J-25 neutron generator facility of the Institute of Nuclear Science and Technology, AERE, Saver, Dhaka by the bombardment of the solid tritium target with deuteron. The different energies of the neutrons were obtained as a function of emission angle to the direction of incoming deuteron beam. The neutron activation technique in combination with high resolution HPGe-detector y-ray spectrometry was used to measure the activities of the reaction products and to identify them. Peak area analysis was done using Multi Channel Analyzer (MCA) system based on personal computer. The effective neutron flux densities at the energies of interest were determined by the irradiation of monitor Al-foil with sample. The neutron flux obtained in the present work was in the range of 7 .366x 105 to l.855x I 06 ncnf2s"1 using known cross section data obtained from llVonach. To determine the cross sections of the desired reactions, the well-known activation equation was used. The total uncertainty in cross section was obtained by considering both the statistical errors and possible major sources of systematic errors. The overall uncertainties observed in our experiment were in the range of7- 15 %...............................