Measurements of high-energy neutron-induced fission of natPb and 209Bi

Abstract

The CERN Neutron Time-Of-Flight (n TOF) facility is well suited to measure low cross sections as those of neutron-induced fission in subactinides. The cross section ratios of natPb and 209Bi relative to 235U and 238U were measured using PPAC detectors and a fragment coincidence method that allows us to identify the fission events. The present experiment provides first results for neutron-induced fission up to 1 GeV. Good agreement is found with previous experimental data below 200 MeV. The comparison with proton-induced fission indicates that the limiting regime where neutron-induced and proton-induced fission reach equal cross sections is close to 1 GeV.