Measurement of 139-La(n,gamma) cross section

Abstract

We measured the neutron capture cross section of 139La relative to 197Au in the energy range of 0.6 eV to 9 keV at n_TOF, the neutron time-of-flight facility at CERN. After a description of the experimental apparatus, we discuss data analysis procedures. The data were fitted using R-matrix formalism to extract resonance parameters which, in turn, were used to calculate average level spacings D0 = 268 ± 22 eV and D1 < 250 eV, and neutron strength functions S0 = (0.79 ± 0.03)×10-4 and S1 = (0.73 ± 0.05)×10-4 for s- and p-wave resonances. The data also were used to determine Maxwellian-averaged neutron capture cross sections which, in turn, were used to calculate the 139La abundance synthesized in a stellar model of the main component of the s process.