High-Resolution Neutron Cross-Section Measurements at the Oak Ridge Electron Linear Accelerator

Conference · Thu Sep 23 00:00:00 EDT 2010

OSTI ID:993010

Guber, Klaus H. ^[1]

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1. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States). Oak Ridge Electron Linear Accelerator

Over the last three decades, the Oak Ridge Electron Linear Accelerator (ORELA) has produced many neutron-induced cross-section data. ORELA is the only high-power white neutron source with excellent time resolution still operating in the United States and is ideally suited for experiments to measure neutron fission, total, (n,), and capture cross sections in the energy range from 1 eV to as high as several MeV. Recent measurements have included neutron capture measurements on 39,41K, 35,37Cl, F, Mn, 58,60Ni, 53Cr, natural Cr, 48Ti, natural Ti, and 95Mo and total cross-section measurements on natural Cl, natural K, 95Mo, Mn, 53Cr, natural Cr, 48Ti, natural Ti, and 64Zn(n,). Many of these measurements were carried out to support the U.S. Nuclear Criticality Safety Program. Concerns have been raised about many of the older nuclear data evaluations important for criticality safety. For example, the time-of-flight resolution and accuracy of some of the existing data are too poor for new evaluations and thus applications. Several of these data are also important input parameters for the ongoing nuclear astrophysics program, which investigates the s-process nucleosynthesis in asymptotic giant branch stars. Here the Maxwellian-averaged neutron capture cross sections at kT = 8 and 30 keV are of importance. This paper provides an overview of the high-resolution cross-section measurement facility ORELA and describes the current measurement activities.

• Research Organization: Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States). Oak Ridge Electron Linear Accelerator
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), Nuclear Criticality Safety Program (NCSP)
• DOE Contract Number: AC05-00OR22725
• OSTI ID: 993010
• Resource Relation: Conference: EFNUDAT Slow and Resonance Neutrons, A Scientific Workshop on Nuclear Data Measurements, Theory and Applications, Budapest (Hungary), 23-25 Sep 2009
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS
73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS
ACCURACY
ASTROPHYSICS
CAPTURE
CRITICALITY
CROSS SECTIONS
ELECTRONS
ENERGY RANGE
FISSION
LINEAR ACCELERATORS
NEUTRON REACTIONS
NEUTRON SOURCES
NEUTRONS
NUCLEOSYNTHESIS
RESOLUTION
RESONANCE NEUTRONS
S PROCESS
SAFETY
STARS
TIME RESOLUTION
TOTAL CROSS SECTIONS
ORELA
Cross-Section
Neutron
Criticality Safety
Fission
Oak Ridge Electron Linear Accelerator (ORELA)
High-Power White Neutron Source
Evaluations
High-Resolution Cross-Section Measurement Facility Overview
Measurement Activities
Nuclear Criticality Safety Program (NCSP)