Measurement on the thermal neutron capture cross section of w-180

TL;DR

This paper reports a precise measurement of the thermal neutron capture cross section of w-180, which is crucial for estimating w-181 production in reactors, improving upon previous uncertain data.

Contribution

The study provides a more accurate measurement of the w-180 neutron capture cross section using natural tungsten foil, addressing the lack of precise data.

Findings

Measured cross section: 21.9 ± 2.5 barns

Significantly improved accuracy over previous data

Supports use of w-180 in neutrino source applications

Abstract

We have measured the thermal neutron capture cross section for w-180 nucleus. There is only one previous data on this cross section with a value of 30 $^{+300%}_{-100%}$ barn. To consider w-181 as a low energy neutrino source, the thermal neutron capture cross section should be measured more precisely to estimate the production rate of w-181 inside a nuclear reactor. We measured the cross section of w-180 with a natural tungsten foil and obtained a new value of 21.9 $\pm$ 2.5 barn