Ground-state and isomeric-state cross sections for 181Ta(n, 2n)180Ta between 8 and 15 MeV

Using the activation technique, the cross section for the reaction Ta-181(n,2n)Ta-180(g) was measured from 8 to 15 MeV in small energy steps to resolve inconsistencies in the existing database. The 93.4 keV gamma ray from the decay of the Ta-180(g) ground state was recorded with a high-purity germanium (HPGe) detector. The monitor reactions Al-27(n, alpha)Na-24 and Au-197(n,2n)Au-196 were used for neutron fluence determination. The ENDF VII.1 and TENDL 2011 evaluations are in considerable disagreement with the present data, which in turn agree very well with the majority of the existing data in the 14 MeV energy region. A detailed analysis using the code TALYS was performed to describe the present data and to predict the (n, 2n) cross section to the isomeric state of Ta-180. DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevC.87.031601