Report on the IAEA Coordinated Research Program on Activation Cross Sections for the Generation of Long-Lived Activities of Importance in Fusion Reactor Technology

Abstract

A coordinated research program on the measurement of activation cross sections was initiated in 1988 by the IAEA in order to obtain reliable data for 16 reactions of special importance for fusion technology proposed by E. Gheng (²⁷Al(n,2n)²⁶Al, ⁶³Cu(n,p)⁶³Ni, ⁹⁴Mo(n,p)⁹⁴Nb, ¹⁰⁹Ag (n,2n)^108mAg, ¹⁷⁹Hf(n,2n)^178m2Hf, ¹⁸²W(n,n’∝)^178m2Hf, ¹⁵¹Eu(n,2n)^150mEu, ¹⁵³Eu(n,2n)^152gEu, ¹³⁹Tb(n,2n)^158gTb, ¹⁵⁸Dy(n,p)^158gTb, ¹⁹³Ir(n,2n) ^192m2Ir, ¹⁸⁷Re(n,2n)^186mRe, ⁶²Ni(n,γ)⁶³Ni, ⁹⁸Mo(n,γ)⁹⁹Mo, ¹⁶⁵Ho(n,γ)^166mHo, 191Ir (n,γ)^192m2Ir). 9 laboratories from 7 countries participate in the program.

First results of the CRP were reported at an IAEA consultants’ meeting in Argonne in Sept. 1989. At this time cross sections for 8 of the requested reactions had already been obtained at E_n ≈ 14 MeV either by measurements or evaluation of measurements performed outside the CRP, and measurements on 5 more reactions were in progress. It can be expected that adequate knowledge about all of the requested reactions — with one possible exception, ¹⁹¹Ir(n,γ)^192m2Ir — will be obtained before the next CRP coordination-meeting in Nov. of this year.