High resolution measurements of the 241Am(n,2n) reaction cross section

Measurements of the Am-241(n,2n) reaction cross section have been performed at the Joint Research Centre (JRC) Geel in the frame of a collaboration between the European Commission (EC) JRC and French laboratories from CNRS and the Commissariat a L'Energie Atomique (CEA) Cadarache. Raw material coming from the Atalante facility of CEA Marcoule has been transformed by JRC Karlsruhe into suitable (AmO2)-Am-241 samples embedded in Al2O3 matrices specifically designed for these measurements. The irradiations were carried out at the 7-MV Van de Graaff accelerator. The 241Am(n, 2n) reaction cross section was determined relative to the Al-27(n,alpha)Na-24 standard cross section. The measurements were performed in four sessions, using quasi-monoenergetic neutrons with energies ranging from 8 to 21 MeV produced via the H-2(d,n)He-3 and the H-3(d,n)He-4 reactions. The induced activity was measured by standard gamma-ray spectrometry using a high-purity germanium detector. Below 15 MeV, the present results are in agreement with data obtained earlier. Above 15 MeV, these measurements allowed the experimental investigation of the Am-241(n, 2n) reaction cross section for the first time. The present data are in good agreement with predictions obtained with the TALYS code that uses an optical and fission model developed at CEA.