Neutron Absorption Cross Sections for Zirconium-94 and Zirconium-96

Neutron absorption cross sections for ⁹⁴Zr and ⁹⁶Zr were measured by an activation technique. Absolute gamma-ray counting of the radioactive daughters, with a Ge(Li) detector-multichannel analyzer system, yielded disintegration rates which were calibrated in terms of cross section with gold samples. Results, in barns, for 2200 m/sec cross sections and resonance integrals are ⁹⁴Zr, 0.052 ± 0.003, 0.30 ± 0.03; ⁹⁶Zr, 0.020 ± 0.003, 5.0 ± 0.4, respectively. The low value of the ⁹⁶Zr thermal cross section requires that the resonance at 301 eV be p wave.