Measurement of 59Co(n, x) reaction cross sections with the fast neutrons based on the 9Be(p, n) reaction

The cross sections of the 59Co(n,x) reaction in the average energy range of 15.2-37.2 MeV were measured by using the activation and an off-line γ-ray spectrometric technique. The neutrons were generated from the 9Be(p,n) reaction with the proton beam energies of 25-45 MeV from the MC-50 cyclotron facility of the Korean Institute of Radiological and Medical Sciences (KIRAMS). Theoretical calculations of neutron–induced reactions on 59Co were performed using the nuclear model code TALYS-1.9. The present results for the 59Co(n,x) reactions were compared with the theoretical values obtained using the TALYS-1.9 and the literature data given in EXFOR and the TENDL 2019 nuclear data library. The theoretical values using the TALYS-1.9 with adjusted parameter are comparable to the experimental data. The measured reaction cross sections of few radionuclides are new and the others are comparable with the literature data and thus strengthen the database. The present studies on cross sections lead to an useful insight into mechanisms of 59Co(n,x) reactions.