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Neutron cross section

The neutron cross section quantifies the probability of interaction between an incident neutron and a target nucleus, influencing reaction rates in nuclear physics. It is measured in barns and varies based on factors such as target type, reaction type, and neutron energy. Different isotopes exhibit distinct cross sections for absorption, fission, and scattering, which are crucial for applications like nuclear reactors and neutron moderation.

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8 views4 pages

Neutron cross section

The neutron cross section quantifies the probability of interaction between an incident neutron and a target nucleus, influencing reaction rates in nuclear physics. It is measured in barns and varies based on factors such as target type, reaction type, and neutron energy. Different isotopes exhibit distinct cross sections for absorption, fission, and scattering, which are crucial for applications like nuclear reactors and neutron moderation.

Uploaded by

RAMAN
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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In nuclear physics, the concept of a neutron cross section is used to express the

likelihood of interaction between an incident neutron and a target nucleus. The


neutron cross section σ can be defined as the area in cm2 for which the number of
neutron-nuclei reactions taking place is equal to the product of the number of
incident neutrons that would pass through the area and the number of target nuclei. [1]
[page needed]
In conjunction with the neutron flux, it enables the calculation of the reaction
rate, for example to derive the thermal power of a nuclear power plant. The standard
unit for measuring the cross section is the barn, which is equal to 10−28 m2 or
10−24 cm2. The larger the neutron cross section, the more likely a neutron will react
with the nucleus.

An isotope (or nuclide) can be classified according to its neutron cross section and
how it reacts to an incident neutron. Nuclides that tend to absorb a neutron and
either decay or keep the neutron in its nucleus are neutron absorbers and will have
a capture cross section for that reaction. Isotopes that
undergo fission are fissionable fuels and have a corresponding fission cross section.
The remaining isotopes will simply scatter the neutron, and have a scatter cross
section. Some isotopes, like uranium-238, have nonzero cross sections of all three.

Isotopes which have a large scatter cross section and a low mass are good neutron
moderators (see chart below). Nuclides which have a large absorption cross section
are neutron poisons if they are neither fissile nor undergo decay. A poison that is
purposely inserted into a nuclear reactor for controlling its reactivity in the long term
and improve its shutdown margin is called a burnable poison.

Parameters of interest
[edit]
The neutron cross section, and therefore the probability of a neutron–nucleus
interaction, depends on:

 the target type (hydrogen, uranium...),


 the type of nuclear reaction (scattering, fission...).
 the incident particle energy, also called speed or temperature (thermal, fast...),
and, to a lesser extent, of:

 its relative angle between the incident neutron and the target nuclide,
 the target nuclide temperature.
Target type dependence
[edit]
The neutron cross section is defined for a given type of target particle. For example,
the capture cross section of deuterium 2H is much smaller than that of common
hydrogen 1H.[2] This is the reason why some reactors use heavy water (in which most
of the hydrogen is deuterium) instead of ordinary light water as moderator: fewer
neutrons are lost by capture inside the medium, hence enabling the use of natural
uranium instead of enriched uranium. This is the principle of a CANDU reactor.

Type of reaction dependence


[edit]
The likelihood of interaction between an incident neutron and a target nuclide,
independent of the type of reaction, is expressed with the help of the total cross
section σT. However, it may be useful to know if the incoming particle bounces off the
target (and therefore continue travelling after the interaction) or disappears after the
reaction. For that reason, the scattering and absorption cross sections σS and σA are
defined and the total cross section is simply the sum of the two partial cross
sections:[3]

Absorption cross section


[edit]
If the neutron is absorbed when approaching the nuclide, the atomic nucleus
moves up on the table of isotopes by one position. For instance, 235U
becomes 236*U with the * indicating the nucleus is highly energized. This energy
has to be released and the release can take place through any of several
mechanisms.

1. The simplest way for the release to occur is for the neutron to be ejected
by the nucleus. If the neutron is emitted immediately, it acts the same as
in other scattering events.
2. The nucleus may emit gamma radiation.
3. The nucleus may β− decay, where a neutron is converted into a proton, an
electron and an electron-type antineutrino (the antiparticle of the neutrino)
4. About 81% of the 236*U nuclei are so energized that they undergo fission,
releasing the energy as kinetic motion of the fission fragments, also
emitting between one and five free neutrons.

 Nuclei that undergo fission as their predominant decay method after neutron
capture include 233U, 235U, 237U, 239Pu, 241Pu.
 Nuclei that predominantly absorb neutrons and then emit beta particle
radiation lead to these isotopes, e.g., 232Th absorbs a neutron and
becomes 233*Th, which beta decays to become 233Pa, which in turn beta decays
to become 233U.
 Isotopes that undergo beta decay transmute from one element to another
element. Those that undergo gamma or X-ray emission do not cause a
change in element or isotope.
Scattering cross-section
[edit]
The scattering cross-section can be further subdivided into
coherent scattering and incoherent scattering, which is caused by
the spin dependence of the scattering cross-section and, for a natural sample,
presence of different isotopes of the same element in the sample.

Because neutrons interact with the nuclear potential, the scattering cross-section
varies for different isotopes of the element in question. A very prominent example
is hydrogen and its isotope deuterium. The total cross-section for hydrogen is
over 10 times that of deuterium, mostly due to the large incoherent scattering
length of hydrogen. Some metals are rather transparent to
neutrons, aluminum and zirconium being the two best examples of this.

Incident particle energy dependence


[edit]
Main article: Neutron temperature

U235 fission cross


section
For a given target and reaction, the cross section is strongly dependent on the
neutron speed. In the extreme case, the cross section can be, at low energies,
either zero (the energy for which the cross section becomes significant is
called threshold energy) or much larger than at high energies.

Therefore, a cross section should be defined either at a given energy or should


be averaged in an energy range (or group).

As an example, the plot on the right shows that the fission cross section
of uranium-235 is low at high neutron energies but becomes higher at low
energies. Such physical constraints explain why most operational nuclear
reactors use a neutron moderator to reduce the energy of the neutron and thus
increase the probability of fission which is essential to produce energy and
sustain the chain reaction.

A simple estimation of energy dependence of any kind of cross section is


provided by the Ramsauer model,[4] which is based on the idea that
the effective size of a neutron is proportional to the breadth of the probability
density function of where the neutron is likely to be, which itself is proportional to
the neutron's thermal de Broglie wavelength.

Taking as the effective radius of the neutron, we can estimate the area of the
circle in which neutrons hit the nuclei of effective radius as
While the assumptions of this model are naive, it explains at least
qualitatively the typical measured energy dependence of the neutron
absorption cross section. For neutrons of wavelength much larger than
typical radius of atomic nuclei (1–10 fm, E = 10–1000 keV) can be
neglected. For these low energy neutrons (such as thermal neutrons) the
cross section is inversely proportional to neutron velocity.

This explains the advantage of using a neutron moderator in fission


nuclear reactors. On the other hand, for very high energy neutrons (over
1 MeV), can be neglected, and the neutron cross section is
approximately constant, determined just by the cross section of atomic
nuclei.

However, this simple model does not take into account so called neutron
resonances, which strongly modify the neutron cross section in the energy
range of 1 eV–10 keV, nor the threshold energy of some nuclear
reactions.

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