Fission Cross Section of Plutonium-238
- 1 October 1973
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Taylor & Francis in Nuclear Science and Engineering
- Vol. 52 (2) , 176-186
- https://doi.org/10.13182/NSE73-A28187
Abstract
The neutron-induced fission cross section of 238Pu was measured from 18 eV to 3 MeV. The nuclear explosion Persimmon provided an intense, single-pulse neutron source spanning an energy range of more than five decades. Neutrons from this underground source were sorted by time of flight over a 304-m vertical path, and interacted with a 238 Pu sample and with flux monitors at ground level. The neutron flux was measured relative to the reactions 3He(n,p), 6Li(n, αt), and 235U(n,f). Fission cross-section areas are reported for 49 resonances below 500 eV. A number of previously unobserved resonances are reported, yielding an average level spacing of 9.5 ± 0.7 eV. There is strong evidence for intermediate structure in the fission cross section with an average spacing of ∼1 keV.Keywords
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