Empirical Estimates of the Neutron-Nucleus Scattering Cross Sections

Abstract

Theoretical study of systematics of neutron scattering cross sections on various materials for neutron energies up to several hundred MeV are of practical importance. In this paper, we analysed various cross sections of neutron-nucleus (n-N) scattering for several systems in the energy range of 50-250 MeV, predicted by the optical model using Koning-Delaroche potentials. We perform the Ramsauer model parameterization of total scattering cross sections and derive the systematics of the Ramsauer model parameters. We propose an empirical approach to successfully predict the energy dependence of total, shape elastic, reaction cross sections and zero degree scattering angular distributions. We demonstrate that owing to two conditions, only two out of these four cross sections need to be fitted empirically. Further, we modified the Wick's approximation for the zero degree angular distributions and use this approach for estimating various cross sections for any nucleus from Aluminum to Lead.