Average neutron parameters for hafnium Original Research Article

The neutron transmission of natural hafnium samples have been measured within the 2 eV to 50 keV energy range at the white neutron source GELINA of the Institute for Reference Materials and Measurements (IRMM) in Geel, Belgium. Data sets for two temperatures (77 K and 300 K) and three sample thicknesses (1 mm, 2 mm, 15 mm) have been simultaneously analyzed in terms of Reich–Moore parameters. The ESTIMA technique in association with the generalized SPRT method were used to obtain a consistent set of l-dependent average resonance parameters. For each hafnium isotope, scattering radius R′, neutron strength function Sl, distant level parameter View the MathML source, mean level spacing Dl and average radiation width 〈Γγ〉 are given and compared with results reported in the literature. The capture and total cross sections calculated by the CONRAD code using this set of average parameters were successfully compared to experimental data retrieved from EXFOR.