Neutron capture cross-section measurement for the 186W(n,γ)187W reaction at 0.0536 eV energy

The thermal neutron-induced activation cross section for the 186W(n,γ)187W reaction was measured at 0.0536 eV neutron energy using TRIGA Mark-II research reactor, Atomic Energy Research Establishment, Savar, Dhaka, Bangladesh. The 197Au(n,γ)198Au monitor reaction induced in a high-purity gold foil was used to determine the effective neutron beam intensity. The activities induced in sample and monitor foils were measured nondestructively by a high-resolution HPGe γ-ray detector. The present experimental cross-section value is the first one at 0.0536 eV. The obtained new cross section that amounts to 26.6±1.6 b is 2% higher than the recently reported data in ENDF/B-VII and 5% lower than that of JENDL-3.3.