Cross Section Measurement of the 6Li(n,t)4He Reaction in the MeV Neutron Energy Range

Abstract Cross sections of the 6Li(n,t)4He reaction were measured in the fast neutron energy range from 3.3 to 5.3 MeV using a gridded ionization chamber (GIC) and a well–calibrated experimental setup at the EG–5 Van de Graaff accelerator of the Frank Laboratory of Neutron Physics, Joint Institute for Nuclear Research (FLNP, JINR). Lithium fluoride (6LiF) samples with varying thicknesses and krypton–CO2 gas mixtures with different pressures, were used to optimize the detection of both alpha particles and tritons. Neutron fluxes were monitored using two high–purity (99.999%) 238U3O8 samples placed inside the GIC, complemented by an external calibrated 3He long counter. The measured 6Li(n,t)4He cross–section data were compared with existing results of measurements and evaluations from EXFOR and ENDF nuclear data libraries, showing a good agreement in the measured neutron energy range. These new measurements provide high–precision data that contribute to the refinement of evaluated nuclear data files and support applications in nuclear physics, tritium production, and reactor design.