Measurement of neutron excitation functions using wide energy neutron beams

A technique for measuring neutron excitation functions using wide energy neutron beams is explored. Samples are activated with a set of neutron fields, each covering a relatively wide energy interval and created using an ion accelerator and conventional nuclear reactions. Measured activities are determined using gamma-ray spectrometry and reduced to excitation curves using spectrum unfolding. The technique is demonstrated on the measurement of the excitation function curve up to 5.6 MeV for 113In(n,n′)113Inm using the 115In(n,n′)115Inm reaction as an internal standard.