Photodisintegration of 127I: Systematic Uncertainties of Experiments and Data Evaluated Using Physical Criteria

Abstract

The experimental data for photoneutron reaction cross sections for 127I obtained using beams of quasimonoenergetic annihilation photons and the method of neutron multiplicity-sorting at Livermore (USA) and Saclay (France) were analyzed using objective physical data reliability criteria. It was found that data of both laboratories contain significant systematic uncertainties and therefore are not reliable. New data for partial and total photoneutron reactions cross sections for 127I satisfied physical criteria of data reliability were evaluated using experimental-theoretical method based on both experimental neutron yield reaction cross-section and results of calculation in the combined photonucleon reaction model (CPNRM). The neutron yield reaction cross-section obtained at Saclay (France) was used in evaluation procedure. The newly evaluated cross sections for partial (γ, 1n), (γ, 2n) and (γ, 3n) reactions for 127I were used for discussion in detail the problems of significant disagreements between experimental data for many nuclei obtained at Saclay and Livermore. It was found that systematic uncertainties of experimental data for the (γ, 1n), (γ, 2n), and (γ, 3n) reactions cross sections for 127I obtained at both laboratories are of different nature. One of the reasons of noticeable systematic uncertainties of cross sections obtained are the shortcomings of the procedures used to separate counts into 1n, 2n, and 3n events. At the same time it was shown that the main reason of significant disagreements between new evaluated data and data obtained at Livermore experiment for 127I is the loss of many neutrons from the (γ, 1n) reaction. This situation is analogous to those in Livermore experiments for 75As and 181Ta.