Neutron capture and total cross-section measurements and resonance parameter analysis of zirconium up to 2.5 keV

Neutron capture and transmission measurements were performed by the time-of -flight technique at the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute LINAC using metal lic zirconium samples. The capture measurement was made at the 25-m flight station with a multiplicity-type capture detector, and the transmission tot al cross-section measurements were performed at the 25-m flight station wit h a Li-6 glass scintillation detector. Resonance parameters were determined by a combined analysis of all 11 data sets (4 capture and 7 transmission) using the least-squares multilevel R-matrix code REFIT. The present measurements were undertaken to resolve discrepancies between c ommon usage (ENDF/B-VI) and the recent measurements of Salah et al. for the 300-eV zirconium doublet. The present measurements support the Salah et al . conclusions. Specifically, the results confirm the assignment of J = 3 fo r the Zr-91 292.5-eV resonance and include all significant resonances up to 2.5 keV: The zirconium resonance parameters Gamma(gamma) and Gamma(n), det ermined in the present measurement, are compared with the ENDF/B-VI paramet ers.