https://doi.org/10.1140/epja/s10050-026-01841-4
Regular Article - Experimental Physics
Experimental and theoretical analysis of neutron induced reaction cross section for 107,109Ag and 115In isotopes with covariance analysis
1
Department of Physics, Netaji Subhas University of Technology, 110078, Dwarka, New Delhi, India
2
Department of Nanotechnology, Delhi Skill and Entrepreneurship University, 110077, Dwarka, New Delhi, India
3
Institute for Plasma Research, 382428, Gandhinagar, Gujarat, India
4
Department of Physics, The Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda, 390002, Baroda, Gujarat, India
5
Homi Bhabha National Institute, Training School Complex, Anushaktinagar, 400094, Mumbai, India
6
Department of Electrical Power Engineering, Brno University of Technology, 61600, Brno, Czech Republic
a
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Received:
2
November
2025
Accepted:
9
March
2026
Published online:
4
May
2026
Abstract
Precise and up-to-date cross-sections with uncertainty propagation data of materials used in control rods are essential for the smooth functioning of nuclear reactors, since fast neutrons interact with control rods that regulate chain reactions by absorbing excess neutrons. The present study aims to measure the neutron-induced reaction cross-section values for the isotopes of silver (Ag) and indium (In). Deuterium–tritium (D–T) fusion neutrons with an energy of 14.96 ± 0.22 MeV were produced and used to irradiate natural samples of Ag and In targets, inducing measurable activation for the reactions 109Ag(n,2n)108Agg, 109Ag(n,p)109Pdm, 107Ag(n,2n)106Agm, 115In(n,p)115Cdg, and 115In(n,α)112Ag at the Neutron and Ion Irradiation Facility, Institute for Plasma Research (NIIF-IPR), Gujarat, India. The radioactive samples were subsequently taken for offline γ-ray counting in a high purity germanium detector (HPGe), with a fine resolution of 2.1 keV at 1.33 MeV γ-ray energy of 60Co connected with GENIE software. Two well-known standard reactions of Aluminium, 27Al(n,p)27 Mg and 27Al(n,α)24Na were employed for neutron flux measurements as per the irradiation period. Appropriate correction factors were applied in cross-section assessment, and uncertainties from all input parameters were rigorously propagated to the final values through covariance analysis. The experimental results were also validated by predictions from the nuclear code TALYS-2.0. Furthermore, prior reported studies from EXFOR and evaluated libraries from ENDF were compared with the presently measured results.
Copyright comment Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.
Communicated by Jose Benlliure.
© The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Società Italiana di Fisica and Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature 2026
Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.
