Resonance Absorption of Neutrons by Thorium Cylinders

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Abstract
The integrated effective resonance neutron absorption cross section of thorium-232 cylinders has been experimentally investigated by danger coefficient measurements in the Hanford Test Pile. The results were interpreted to yield the effective resonance integral as a function of the surface-to-mass ratio of the thorium cylinders. The experiments were extended to determine the Doppler coefficients resulting from heating the thorium in a constant neutron energy spectrum in the reactor. After correction for 1/v neutron absorption, the effective resonance integral can be approximated as a function of the surface-to-mass ratio by ∫ (σa0)effdE′E′=6.11[1+5.0SM(1−0.87SM)]. The value assigned to the Doppler coefficient of the volume absorption of the effective resonance integral is 1A∂A∂T=(2.3±0.2)10−4/∘C. The results are compared to similar measurements on uranium.

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