Measurement of the radiative neutron capture cross section ofPb206and its astrophysical implications
Citations Over TimeTop 17% of 2007 papers
Abstract
The ($n,\ensuremath{\gamma})$ cross section of $^{206}\mathrm{Pb}$ has been measured at the CERN n_TOF facility with high resolution in the energy range from 1 eV to 620 keV by using two optimized ${\mathrm{C}}_{6}{\mathrm{D}}_{6}$ detectors. In the investigated energy interval about 130 resonances could be observed, from which 61 had enough statistics to be reliably analyzed via the R-matrix analysis code SAMMY. Experimental uncertainties were minimized, in particular with respect to (i) angular distribution effects of the prompt capture \ensuremath{\gamma}-rays, and to (ii) the TOF-dependent background due to sample-scattered neutrons. Other background components were addressed by background measurements with an enriched $^{208}\mathrm{Pb}$ sample. The effect of the lower energy cutoff in the pulse height spectra of the ${\mathrm{C}}_{6}{\mathrm{D}}_{6}$ detectors was carefully corrected via Monte Carlo simulations. Compared to previous $^{206}\mathrm{Pb}$ values, the Maxwellian averaged capture cross sections derived from these data are about 20% and 9% lower at thermal energies of 5 keV and 30 keV, respectively. These new results have a direct impact on the $s$-process abundance of $^{206}\mathrm{Pb}$, which represents an important test for the interpretation of the cosmic clock based on the decay of $^{238}\mathrm{U}$.
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