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Experimental determination of Q 0 factors and effective resonance energies with a multi-channel approach: the α-vector method

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Abstract

Some of the Q 0 and Ē r factors from the 2003 to 2012 recommended k 0-datasets were adopted from older literature (Lit; before 1984), at the time of the launch of the k 0-method and have associated uncertainties of 10 %. The Ē r factors on the other hand, were derived analytically in 1979 and 1987 by employing the Breit–Wigner resonance representation, but in 1984 a multi-channel method was proposed for simultaneous Q 0 and Ē r experimental determination. In this work we assumed the α-dependence of the Ē r parameter proposed later in 1987 for a generalization of this method, which was then employed in the experimental determination of Q 0 and Ē r factors for 17 (n,γ) target isotopes on up to three channels of the BR1 reactor at the SCK-CEN (Mol, Belgium). Retrospectively, this “α-vector method” can be employed for α-calibration and it provides a practical way of averaging the experimental Q 0 (and Ē r) results from several laboratories. Our Q 0 results have 2–3 % uncertainty and are compared with the Lit elsewhere.

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Acknowledgments

This work would have not been possible without the help of G. Sibbens, A. Moens and J. Wagemans in providing the authors with high quality materials. Needless to say that we are in deep gratitude with the technical staff at SCK: I. Verwimp, B. Van Houdt, P. Vandycke, S. Van Bijlen and J. Leeuws for their skillful assistance during the irradiations and to E. Daniels for material preparations. We thank M. Bruggeman, F. De Corte, G. Kennedy, C. Chilian, W. De Boek, R. Van Sluijs, D. Bossus and A. Trkov for their valuable insights and important remarks.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Analytical Chemistry, Ghent University, Krijgslaan 281 S12, 9000, Ghent, Belgium

    F. Farina Arboccò & K. Strijckmans

  2. k0-INAA Laboratory, Studiecentrum voor Kernenergie - Centre d’étude de l’énergie nucléaire (SCK·CEN), Belgian Nuclear Research Centre, Boeretang 200, 2400, Mol, Belgium

    F. Farina Arboccò, P. Vermaercke, K. Smits & L. Sneyers

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  1. F. Farina Arboccò
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  2. P. Vermaercke
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  3. K. Smits
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Correspondence to F. Farina Arboccò.

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Farina Arboccò, F., Vermaercke, P., Smits, K. et al. Experimental determination of Q 0 factors and effective resonance energies with a multi-channel approach: the α-vector method. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 302, 631–646 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-014-3276-x

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