Measurement of neutron capture cross section on ⁷¹Ga at 2.15 and 3.19 MeV and uncertainty propagation and covariance analysis*

Abstract

The cross section values of the 71Ga(n,γ)72Ga reaction have been measured which are 9.14 ± 0.81 mb and 5.74 ± 0.50 mb at 2.15 and 3.19 MeV, respectively. The detail uncertainty propagation and covariance analysis are also given. The 7Li(p,n)7Be reaction was used to generate the neutrons and the neutron flux was normalised using the 115In(n,n’ )115Inm monitor reaction. The measured cross section
data are compared with the data available in the EXFOR database and with those of nuclear reaction model codes EMPIRE-3.2 and TALYS-1.95 and also with the evaluated nuclear data from ENDF/B-VIII.0 and JEFF-3.1/A. The comparison shows that our result at 3.19 MeV is in good agreement with those of EMPIRE-3.2 and JEFF-3.1/A. Since there are no other measurements available at 3.19 MeV, our data could not be compared with literature data at 3.19 MeV but it is consistent with the cross section values available at 2.98 ± 0.26 and 3.0 ± 0.1 MeV and our result at 2.15 MeV is slightly higher than the literature value available in EXFOR, evaluated value and theoretical predicted result.