14.5 MEV NEUTRON-CAPTURE CROSS-SECTION MEASUREMENTS IN TA-181 WITH ACTIVATION TECHNIQUE

The activation cross section and isomeric ratios for neutron capture are measured at an energy of 14.5 MeV for Ta-181, relative to sigma(Ta-181(n, p)Hf-181) = 2.5 mb. Gamma-ray spectra of the product nuclei were measured with an HPGe detector. Corrections for the influence of lower-energy neutrons were determined by systematically varying the geometric arrangement. The corrected activation capture cross section at 14.5 MeV is found to be: sigma(total) = 1.0 +/- 0.2 mb, sigma(m) = 0.010 +/- 0.003 mb and the isomeric ratio is found to be 0.010 +/- 0.004.