Transmission Measurement of the ²⁵²Cf Fission Neutron Spectrum

The spontaneous fission neutron spectrum from ²⁵²Cf was measured using a variation of the transmission method. An excellent fit to the data was calculated assuming a Maxwellian spectrum shape with a temperature of 1.39 ± 0.04 MeV. The error includes contributions from uncertainties in cross sections and experimental statistics. In addition, all other possible sources of systematic error were investigated and found to be negligible. This value is in good agreement with earlier results at the low end of the range of measured values of the Maxwellian temperature.