Cross Section Measurements of (n,x) Reactions at 17.9 MeV Using Highly Enriched Ge Isotopes

Τhe 70Ge(n,2n)69Ge, 72Ge(n,a)69mZn, 72Ge(n,p)72Ga and 73Ge(n,p)73Ga reactions have been measured by means of the activation technique at neutron energy 17.9 MeV. The quasimonoenergetic neutron beam was produced via the 2H(d,n)3He reaction at the 5.5 MV Tandem Van de Graaff accelerator of NCSR “Demokritos.” Isotopically highly enriched targets of 70Ge, 72Ge and 73Ge, provided by the nTOF collaboration at CERN, have been used, thus allowing accurate cross section measurements since no corrections are needed to compensate for the parasitic reactions from neighboring isotopes that exist in the case of using natural Ge target. The cross section has been deduced with respect to the 27Al(n,α)24Na reference reaction.