Photofission Cross Sections for 237Np in the Energy Interval from 5.27 to 10.83 MeV

Photofission cross sections for 237Np have been measured as a function of energy, in the interval from 5.27 to 10.83 MeV. The gamma-ray spectra were those produced by thermal neutron capture, in 30 different target materials, at a tangential beam hole of the Instituto de Pesquisas Energéticas e Nucleares IEA-R1 2-MW research reactor. The set of experimental data has been unfolded employing least-squares methods and the covariance matrix methodology. The determined photofission cross sections for 237Np, together with the complete correlation matrix for the involved errors, are presented and are compared with previous measurements reported in the literature. A statistical calculation for the 237Np photofission cross sections was performed, and the results are compared with the experimental data.