Eur. Phys. J. A (2017) 53: 199
https://doi.org/10.1140/epja/i2017-12394-2

Regular Article - Experimental Physics

Evaluation of cross sections for neutron interactions with ²³⁸U in the energy region between 5 keV and 150 keV

¹ Institute for Nuclear Research and Nuclear Energy, BG-1784, Sofia, Bulgaria
² International Atomic Energy Agency, NAPC-Nuclear Data Section, A-1400, Vienna, Austria
³ Institute for Nuclear Research, pr. Nauky, 03028, Kyiv, Ukraine
⁴ Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Nuclear Data Center, 34057, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
⁵ European Commission, Joint Research Centre, B-2440, Geel, Belgium
⁶ Jožef Stefan Institute, Jamova cesta 39, SI-1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia
⁷ Atomsrandart, Rosatom State Corporation, Moscow, Russia

^* e-mail: peter.schillebeeckx@ec.europa.eu

Received: 10 August 2017
Accepted: 16 September 2017
Published online: 18 October 2017

Abstract

Cross sections for neutron interactions with ²³⁸U in the energy region from 5keV to 150keV have been evaluated. Average total and capture cross sections have been derived from a least squares analysis using experimental data reported in the literature. The resulting cross sections have been parameterised in terms of average resonance parameters maintaining full consistency with results of optical model calculations by using a dispersive coupled channel optical model potential. The average compound partial cross sections have been expressed in terms of transmission coefficients by applying the Hauser-Feshbach statistical reaction theory including width-fluctuations. A generalized single-level representation compatible with the energy-dependent options of the ENDF-6 format has been applied using standard boundary conditions. The results have been transferred into a full ENDF-6 compatible data file.