Cross Section Measurements of (n,x) Reactions In the Energy Range Between 16.4 and 18.9 MeV Using Highly Enriched Ge Isotopes

In this work, the cross sections of the neutron induced reactions 70Ge(n,2n)69Ge, 76Ge(n,2n)75Ge, 73Ge(n,p)73Ga, 72Ge(n,p)72Ga, 73Ge(n,d/np)72Ga, 74Ge(n,d/np)73Ga, 74Ge(n,α)71mZn, 72Ge(n,α)69mZn, 73Ge(n,nα)69mZn have been measured in the energy range between 16.4 and 18.9 MeV via the activation technique with respect to the 27Al(n,α)24Na reference reaction. Most of the existing experimental datasets found in literature for these reactions, were obtained with the use of a natGe target. In this case however, the residual nucleus produced from some reaction channels, could also be produced from neutron induced reactions in neighboring isotopes that exist in the natGe in their natural abundance, acting as a contamination to the measured yield of the reaction of interest. This parasitic contribution should then be subtracted, based on theoretical calculations that bear their own uncertainties. Isotopically enriched targets on the other hand, do not suffer from such contaminations, leading to more accurate experimental cross section results. In this work, five highly enriched targets have been used that helped in the determination of accurate cross section data, especially in the case of the73Ge(n,d/np)72Ga, 74Ge(n,d/np)73Ga and 73Ge(n,nα)69mZn challenging reactions, that will be presented in detail in this manuscript. The experiments were carried out at the 5.5 MV Tandem Van de Graaff accelerator of N.C.S.R. “Demokritos”, implementing the 3H(d,n)4He reaction for the production of the quasi-monoenergetic neutron beams.