Neutron Cross Sections of Calcium and Potassium from 2 to 8 MeV

Abstract

Differential cross sections for elastic scattering of neutrons have been measured for calcium at neutron energies of 2.06, 3.29, 5.30, 5.88, 6.52, and 7.91 MeV, and for potassium at neutron energies of 2.06, 3.74, 4.33, 6.52, and 7.91 MeV. The measurements were made using time-of-flight techniques and a liquid-scintillation detector equipped with $\ensuremath{\gamma}$-ray discrimination. Measurements of total cross sections for both nuclei were made between 1.8 and 8.3 MeV. The experimental data were compared to optical-model calculations using the computer code ABACUS-2. Parameter-search procedures produced good fits to the cross sections. The potentials implied for the two nuclei are similar.