Cross section measurement of the 6Li(n,t)4He reaction in the MeV neutron energy range

AbstraktAbstract

Cross sections of the Li-6(n, t)He-4 reaction were measured in the fast neutron energy range from 3.3 to 5.3 MeV using a gridded ionization chamber (GIC) and well-calibrated experimental setup at the EG-5 Van de Graaff accelerator of the Frank Laboratory of Neutron Physics, Joint Institute for Nuclear Research (FLNP, JINR). Lithium fluoride ((LiF)-Li-6) samples with varying thicknesses and krypton-CO2 gas mixtures with different pressures were used to optimize the detection of both alpha particles and tritons. Neutron fluxes were monitored using two high-purity (99.999%) (U3O8)-U-238 samples placed inside the GIC, complemented by an externally calibrated He-3 long counter. The measured Li-6(n, t)He-4 cross-section data were compared with existing results of measurements and evaluations from EXFOR and ENDF nuclear data libraries, and the results showed a good agreement in the measured neutron energy range. These new measurements provide reliable cross-section data that contribute to the refinement of evaluated nuclear data files and support applications in nuclear physics, tritium production, and reactor design.

Cross sections of the Li-6(n, t)He-4 reaction were measured in the fast neutron energy range from 3.3 to 5.3 MeV using a gridded ionization chamber (GIC) and well-calibrated experimental setup at the EG-5 Van de Graaff accelerator of the Frank Laboratory of Neutron Physics, Joint Institute for Nuclear Research (FLNP, JINR). Lithium fluoride ((LiF)-Li-6) samples with varying thicknesses and krypton-CO2 gas mixtures with different pressures were used to optimize the detection of both alpha particles and tritons. Neutron fluxes were monitored using two high-purity (99.999%) (U3O8)-U-238 samples placed inside the GIC, complemented by an externally calibrated He-3 long counter. The measured Li-6(n, t)He-4 cross-section data were compared with existing results of measurements and evaluations from EXFOR and ENDF nuclear data libraries, and the results showed a good agreement in the measured neutron energy range. These new measurements provide reliable cross-section data that contribute to the refinement of evaluated nuclear data files and support applications in nuclear physics, tritium production, and reactor design.