Cross sections for 14 MeV neutron interaction with lutetium isotopes and their theoretical excitation functions

Abstract

The reaction cross-sections for the 175Lu(n,p)175Yb, 175Lu(n,α)172Tm, 176Lu(n,α)173Tm, 175Lu(n,2n)174mLu, and 175Lu(n,2n)174gLu reactions at the 13.57, 14.03 14.62 and 14.86 MeV neutron energies were measured by using an activation technique. The theoretical excitation functions of these reactions were calculated by using the Talys-1.95 code. The experimentally obtained reaction cross-section data were analyzed and compared with the literature experimental data, and the evaluated data of five major evaluated nuclear data libraries of IAEA, as well as with the theoretical values based on Talys-1.95. The present data at some neutron energies agree with some of the literature data, and with theoretical values based on Talys-1.95. The consistency of the theoretical curves of excitation functions based on Talys-1.95 with the present and literature data is better than that of the evaluation curves of excitation functions for the 175Lu(n,p)175Yb, 175Lu(n,α)172 Tm, and 176Lu(n,α)173Tm reactions. This work will be helpful to give new evaluated reaction cross-section data on the fusion reactor material lutetium to improve the quality of the neutron-induced reaction cross section data libraries, and advance the related application research.