International Conference on Nuclear Data for Science and Technology 2007
DOI: 10.1051/ndata:07473

Quasi-absolute neutron-induced fission cross section of ²⁴³Am

M. Aíche¹, G. Kessedjian¹, G. Barreau¹, B. Jurado¹, A. Bidaud¹, S. Czajkowski¹, D. Dassié¹, B. Haas¹, L. Mathieu¹, L. Tassan-Got², J. Wilson², F.-J. Hambsch³, S. Oberstedt³, I. AlMahamid⁴, J. Floyd⁵, W. Lukens⁵ and D. Shuh<sup>5

1</sup>  CENBG, Université de Bordeaux 1, 33175 Gradignan Cedex, France
²  IPN Orsay, Université Paris-Sud, 91406 Orsay, France
³  EC-JRC-IRMM, 2440 Geel, Belgium
⁴  Laboratory of Inorganic and Nuclear Chemistry, NY 12201, USA
⁵  LBNL, CA 94720, USA

aiche@cenbg.in2p3.fr

Published online: 21 May 2008

Abstract
The existing evaluations of the ²⁴³Am neutron-induced fission cross section have been questioned by recent studies performed at the GNEISS facility. In the neutron energy range from 1 to 6 MeV the GNEISS data present deviations of more than 15% with respect to the evaluations. In order to solve this problem, we have performed a first quasi-absolute measurement of this fission cross section from the fission threshold up to the onset of second-chance fission. To achieve this goal we have used the neutron-proton scattering cross section as reference reaction to determine the incident neutron flux. This cross section is known with a precision better than 1% for a wide range of neutron energies (1 meV to 20 MeV).

© CEA 2008