Neutron capture in /sup 233/Pa (LWBR Development Program)

Technical Report · Mon Dec 01 04:00:00 EST 1969

OSTI ID:7075660

Harris, D R

Neutron capture in protactinium-233 affects the design of watercooled breeder reactors both by reducing the fissile /sup 233/U formed from fertile thorium and by harming the neutron economy in the reactor. Successful prediction of the /sup 233/Pa(n,..gamma..) rate depends largely on use of adequate cross sections, and these are examined here in terms of the resonance capture integral and the /sup 233/Pa(n,..gamma..) cross section at 0.0253 eV. The transmission measurements of Simpson and Codding are analyzed to determine a resonance integral above 0.5 eV of 917 +- 63 barns, where the contribution from the range 18 to 37.5 eV is found from an area analysis carried out. The /sup 233/Pa(n,..gamma..) cross section at 0.0253 eV is determined from the transmission measurements to be 47 +- 4 barns, including the contribution from an anomalous 0.43 eV resonance. Averages of direct measurements of resonance integral and thermal cross section are smaller, 846 +- 29 barns and 40.5 +- 3.5 barns, respectively. These depend on standard data for gold and cobalt and these are reviewed. A composite of both integral and differential data implies 852 +- 26 barns and 43 +- 3 barns for resonance integral and 0.0253 eV cross section, respectively, for /sup 233/Pa(n,..gamma..) corresponding to a 7% reduction in cross sections inferred from the transmission measurements. (NSA 24: 22152)

• Research Organization: Bettis Atomic Power Lab., Pittsburgh, PA (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: AT(11-1)-GEN-14
• OSTI ID: 7075660
• Report Number(s): WAPD-TM-814
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

652025* -- Nuclear Properties & Reactions
A=220 & above
Experimental-- Nuclear Reactions & Scattering-- (-1987)
73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS
ACTINIDE ISOTOPES
ACTINIDE NUCLEI
BARYON REACTIONS
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BREEDER REACTORS
CAPTURE
CROSS SECTIONS
DAYS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
HADRON REACTIONS
HEAVY NUCLEI
INTEGRALS
ISOTOPES
LWBR TYPE REACTORS
NEUTRON REACTIONS
NUCLEAR REACTIONS
NUCLEI
NUCLEON REACTIONS
ODD-EVEN NUCLEI
PROTACTINIUM 233
PROTACTINIUM ISOTOPES
RADIOISOTOPES
REACTORS
RESONANCE INTEGRALS
THERMAL REACTORS
WATER COOLED REACTORS
WATER MODERATED REACTORS