Influence of parasitic neutrons to the 176Hf(n,2n)175Hf reaction cross section
Cross sections for 176Hf(n,2n)175Hf reaction have been measured at the VdG Tandem accelerator of NCSR \Demokritos", in the neutron energy region from 8.80 to 11.02 MeV, using the activation technique. In order to account for the contamination of the 176Hf(n,2n)175Hf by the 174Hf(n,γ)175Hf reaction activated by the presence of parasitic neutrons, an experimental method has been developed based on the influence of the parasitic neutrons in the case of the (n,2n) and (n,γ) reactions on 197Au. The results were found to be consistent with the energy spectrum of the neutron beam which has been studied by means of the multiple foil activation analysis technique as well as by a liquid scintillator BC501A detector and subsequent deconvolution of its recoil energy spectra.