FAST-NEUTRON SCATTERING NEAR SHELL CLOSURES - SCANDIUM

Neutron differential elastic- and inelastic-scattering cross sections are measured from almost-equal-to 1.5 to 10 MeV with the detail necessary to define the energy-averaged behaviour of the scattering processes. Neutrons corresponding to excitations of 465 +/- 23, 737 +/- 20, 1017 +/- 34, 1251 +/- 20, 1432 +/- 23 and 1692 +/- 25 keV are observed. It is shown that the observables are reasonably described with a conventional optical-statistical model having energy-dependent geometric parameters. These model parameters are consistent with systematic behaviours previously reported from this laboratory. The energy dependencies are alleviated when the model is extended to include the contributions of the dispersion relationship. There is no indication of anomalous behaviour of the neutron interaction with Sc-45, five nucleons from the doubly closed shell at Ca-40.