Measurement, evaluation and benchmarking of differential cross sections for proton elastic scattering on natO in the energy range E = 4–6 MeV, suitable for EBS

In this study we present the experimental differential cross sections of the ^natO(p,p₀) elastic scattering, determined via the relative measurement technique, in the proton beam energy range E_lab = 4–6 MeV with a varying step (from 5 to 15 keV), at six backscattering detector angles between 120° and 170° (every 10°). A thin, self-supporting target manufactured was used in this experiment and the determination of its stoichiometry was carried out according to the currently existing evaluation at lower energy, which has also been benchmarked recently. The measurements were performed using the Van de Graaff Tandem 5.5 MV Accelerator of N.C.S.R. “Demokritos” in Athens, Greece. Theoretical calculations leading to the extension of the existing evaluation up to E_p,lab ∼ 6 MeV have also been performed and the obtained results seem to reproduce well not only the differential cross-section datasets obtained in the present work, but also already existing ones in literature for this extended proton beam energy range. The observed peculiarities and discrepancies are discussed and analyzed, while the theoretical differential cross sections are validated via an accurate benchmarking experiment carried out at RUBION, Ruhr University Bochum, using a thick Bi₂O₃ target.