Speaker
Description
Nuclear reaction data for neutron induced reactions on unstable nuclei are critical for a wide range of applications spanning from studies of nuclear astrophysics, nuclear reactor designs, and for radiochemistry diagnostics. However, due to the difficulty in performing this class of measurements, and the resulting lack of experimental data, nuclear data evaluations of the reaction cross sections are typically unavailable or unreliable. In this work, we present partial and total $^{59}$Ni(n,p)$^{59}$Co and $^{59}$Ni(n,$\alpha$)$^{56}$Fe cross sections that were measured directly with a radioactive $^{59}$Ni target, using the fast neutrons available at the WNR facility at LANSCE. The results are compared to the available nuclear data evaluations and to a recent study of the $^{59}$Ni(n,xp) reaction cross section that was performed via an indirect surrogate ratio method. The current study of $^{59}$Ni was also used to inform some of the background contributions in our recent direct measurement of the $^{56}$Ni(n,p)$^{56}$Co reaction using a radioactive $^{56}$Ni (T$_{1/2}$ = 6 days) target. This $^{56}$Ni target was produced at the Isotope Production Facility at LANSCE and measured using the recently commission hotLENZ experimental setup at the WNR facility. Details on the target fabrication process, technical considerations for the experimental setup, and preliminary analysis of the $^{56}$Ni(n,p)$^{56}$Co measurement will also be presented.
