Measurements of formation cross-sections of short-lived nuclei around the 14 MeV neutron induced reactions on 180Hf and 90Zr and theoretical calculation of excitation functions

The cross sections of the 180Hf(n,p)180Lu and 90Zr(n,2n)89mZr reactions were measured around the neutron energies of 13.5–14.8 MeV by using the activation technique. The excitation functions of the above reactions in the neutron energies from the threshold to 20 MeV were calculated by using the nuclear theoretical model program system Talys-1.9 with the adjusted relevant parameters. The measured results were discussed and compared with previous experiments by other researchers and with the evaluated data of ENDF/B-VIII.0, CENDL-3.1, JEFF-3.3, JENDL-4.0u2, BROND-3.1 as well as the theoretical values based on Talys-1.9. The obtained experimental values at some neutron energies, within experimental error, are consistent with those of the fitting line of the results of previous experiments and are also consistent with those of theoretical excitation curve at the corresponding energies. The obtained theoretical excitation curves match well with most of the experimental data. •The cross-sections of the 180Hf(n,p)180Lu and 90Zr(n,2n)89mZr reactions were measured.•The theoretical excitation curves of the 180Hf(n,p)180Lu and 90Zr(n,2n)89mZr reactions were obtained.•The obtained theoretical excitation curves match well with most of the experimental data.