Eur. Phys. J. A (2019) 55: 187
https://doi.org/10.1140/epja/i2019-12879-x

Regular Article - Experimental Physics

Determination of the ¹⁹³Ir(n, 2n) reaction cross section and correction methodology for the ¹⁹¹Ir(n,) contamination

¹ Department of Physics, National Technical University of Athens, 157 80, Athens, Greece
² Department of Physics, University of Ioannina, 451 10, Ioannina, Greece
³ Department of Naval Architecture, University of West Attica, 122 10, Athens, Greece
⁴ Department of Physics and Astronomy, Ångström Laboratory, Uppsala University, Box 516, S-751 20, Uppsala, Sweden
⁵ Tandem Accelerator Laboratory, Institute of Nuclear and Particle Physics, NCSR “Demokritos”, 153 10, Aghia Paraskevi, Greece
⁶ Institute of Nuclear and Radiological Sciences, Energy, Technology & Safety, NCSR “Demokritos”, 153 10, Aghia Paraskevi, Greece

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

Received: 10 September 2019
Accepted: 11 September 2019
Published online: 25 October 2019

Abstract

The cross section of the ¹⁹³Ir(n, 2n)¹⁹²Ir reaction has been determined by means of the activation technique, relative to the ²⁷Al (n,) and ¹⁹⁷Au(n, 2n) reference reactions cross sections, at neutron beam energies ranging from 10 to 21 MeV. The quasi-monoenergetic neutron beams were produced at the 5.5 MV Tandem T11/25 Accelerator Laboratory of NCSR “Demokritos” via the ²H(d, n) and ³H(d, n) reactions. The induced -ray activity of the irradiated target and reference foils was measured with high resolution HPGe detectors. In order to correct for the contribution of the ¹⁹¹Ir(n,)¹⁹²Ir reaction, which is open to low energy parasitic neutrons, a recently developed analysis method was implemented and it is presented in great detail. Furthermore, cross section theoretical calculations were carried out using the EMPIRE and TALYS codes over a wide energy range.