Experimental Determination of the Uranium-239 Neutron Capture Reaction by Measurement of Uranium-240 by Accelerator Mass Spectrometry

This work demonstrated the feasibility of experimental measurement of the 239U(n,g)240U reaction cross section using accelerator mass spectrometric (AMS) measurements of irradiated depleted uranium targets. These initial measurements were performed using a thermalized neutron spectrum so that the results could be validated to previous measurements, but this work lays the groundwork for future cross section measurements at higher neutron energies for which no experimental data currently exist. These fundamental nuclear data are important to the nuclear threat reduction and nuclear weapons science mission focus areas as well as the chemical and isotopic signatures core competency of the laboratory.