New measurement of the neutron-induced total cross-sections of natCr in a wide energy range on the Back-n at CSNS*

The neutron total cross-section of Cr plays a crucial role in new nuclear engineering design and fundamental science. A new measurement of the neutron-induced total cross-sections of Cr was performed using the transmission method on the back-streaming white neutron beamline (Back-n) at the China Spallation Neutron Source (CSNS). The neutron energy was determined using the time-of-flight technique. The neutron total cross-sections of Cr were obtained across a broad energy range (0.3 eV−20 MeV) in one experiment for the first time. The resulting effective total cross-sections were compared with the existing experimental data in different energy ranges, which revealed good agreement with the evaluated libraries. Theoretical calculation of the total cross-section in the energy range of 1.5 to 20 MeV was then conducted using TALYS-1.96 and compared with the present results. The measurement provides a high-quality total cross-section of Cr, including detailed uncertainty data across a wide energy range, offering a valuable reference for nuclear data re-evaluation and nuclear engineering design.