Measurement of thermal neutron and resonance integral cross sections of the reaction 51V(n,γ) 52V using a 20 Ci Am–Be isotopic neutron source

► Am-Be neutron source was used to measure cross sections using activation method. ► 55Mn(n,γ) 56Mn was used as the reference reaction for the measurement. ► The thermal neutron and resonance integral cross section s of 52V were measured. ► The obtained results are in a good agreement within the experimental uncertainty. The thermal neutron capture cross section ( σ o ) and the resonance integral ( I o ) of the 51V(n,γ) 52V reaction were measured with an activation method to provide fundamental data for reactor calculation, activation analysis, and other theoretical and experimental uses concerning the interaction of neutron with matter. The vanadium and manganese samples were irradiated within and without a Cd shield case using a 20 Ci Am–Be neutron source. The activities of the samples were measured using gamma-ray spectroscopy. The thermal neutron capture cross section and the resonance integral were determined relative to the reference reaction 55Mn(n,γ) 56Mn and the values obtained are 5.16 ± 0.19 barns and 2.53 ± 0.1 barns respectively. The previous measurements of the σ o and I o of the reaction 51V(n,γ) 52V were reviewed and the difference between the present values and the previous results were discussed.