Analysis of (n, 2n) Cross Sections for Medium and Heavy Mass Nuclei

The ability to interpret measured (n, 2n) cross sections by the statistical model of nuclear reactions has been tested. Good agreement was observed for 22 nuclei having mass numbers greater than 30. The statistical model was then applied to nuclei in this mass range to estimate both monoenergetic and fission-spectrum-averaged cross sections. The (n, 2n) reaction in structural materials contributes on the order of +0.1% to the reactor multiplication.