Measurement of the cross sections for 238U(n, γ)239U reaction in the energy range of 14.1-14.8 MeV using neutron activation method

The neutron capture reaction cross sections of U-238 were measured at the neutron energies of 14.1, 14.5 and 14.8 MeV using the activation method and off-line gamma-ray spectrometric technique. The induced gamma-ray activities were measured using a low background gamma ray spectrometer equipped with a high resolution HPGe detector. The excitation functions of the U-238(n, gamma)U-239 reaction were also calculated theoretically using the TALYS-1.8 program and are in general agreement with experimental data. The experimentally determined cross sections were compared with the data in the literature, and the evaluated data of ENDF/B-VIII.0, JENDL-4.0, and CENDL-3.1, as well as calculated results from TALYS-1.8.