Measurement of the Chromium(N,X)Vanadium-52 Neutron Cross Section At 14.6 Mev (Energy, Activity, Generator).

The total ('52)V production cross section of elemental chromium has been measured using a DT neutron source and the activation method. Two consecutive determinations of the Cr(n,X)('52)V cross section gave an average value of 71.4 mb, with a 2.4% estimated error from all sources ((+OR-)1(sigma)), for neutrons at 14.59 MeV. A silicon surface-barrier detector was used in the DT neutron energy measurement by observing the (alpha)(,o) peak shift within the detector at 96(DEGREES) and 0(DEGREES) relative to the deuteron beam direction. The mean neutron energy was determined to have a value of 14.592 (+OR-) 0.019 MeV at 0(DEGREES) with a neutron energy resolution of about 0.3 MeV. In each experiment, a chromium sample with an iron foil on each side were irradiated at 0(DEGREES) relative to the deuteron beam direction. The iron ('56)Fe(n,p)('56)Mn reaction was used for the neutron fluence normalization, and a cross section value of 111.2 (+OR-) 1.0 mb was assumed in the neutron flux calculation. The time-dependent DT neutron flux was simultaneously monitored by a long counter, and the irradiation time was then precisely determined. The 14 MeV neutron induced iron foil ('56)Mn and chromium sample ('52)V activities were measured by a 4(pi)(beta) proportional counter and a high purity germanium (HPGe) detector, respectively. The absolute detector efficiencies were determined using st and ard ('56)Mn and ('52)V sources for which the activities were absolutely obtained by the 4(pi)(beta)-(gamma) coincidence counting technique. The high intensity ('52)V st and ard source used in the HPGe detector calibration was produced by irradiating vanadium foils in a thermal nuclear reactor.PhDNuclear engineeringUniversity of Michiganhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/160983/1/8612562.pd