Measurement of the 154Gd(n,γ) cross section and its astrophysical implications

Mazzone, A.; Cristallo, S.; Aberle, O.; Alaerts, G.; Alcayne, V.; Amaducci, S.; Andrzejewski, J.; Audouin, L.; Babiano-Suarez, V.; Bacak, M.; Barbagallo, M.; Becares, V.; Becvar, F.; Bellia, G.; Berthoumieux, E.; Billowes, J.; Bosnar, D.; Brown, A. S.; Busso, M.; Caamano, M.; Caballero, L.; Calviani, M.; Calvino, F.; Cano-Ott, D.; Casanovas, A.; Castelluccio, D. M.; Cerutti, F.; Chen, Y. H.; Chiaveri, E.; Clai, G.; Colonna, N.; Cortes, G. P.; Cortes-Giraldo, M. A.; Cosentino, L.; Damone, L. A.; Diakaki, M.; Dietz, M.; Domingo-Pardo, C.; Dressler, R.; Dupont, E.; Duran, I.; Eleme, Z.; Fernandez-Domingez, B.; Ferrari, A.; Ferro-Goncalves, I.; Finocchiaro, P.; Furman, V.; Garg, R.; Gawlik, A.; Gilardoni, S.; Glodariu, T.; Gobel, K.; Gonzalez-Romero, E.; Guerrero, C.; Gunsing, F.; Heinitz, S.; Heyse, J.; Jenkins, D. G.; Jericha, E.; Kadi, Y.; Kappeler, F.; Kimura, A.; Kivel, N.; Kokkoris, M.; Kopatch, Y.; Kopecky, S.; Krticka, M.; Kurtulgil, D.; Ladarescu, I.; Lederer-Woods, C.; Lerendegui-Marco, J.; Lo Meo, S.; Lonsdale, S. -J.; Macina, D.; Manna, A.; Martinez, T.; Masi, A.; Massimi, C.; Mastinu, P. F.; Mastromarco, M.; Matteucci, F.; Maugeri, E.; Mendoza, E.; Mengoni, A.; Michalopoulou, V.; Milazzo, P. M.; Mingrone, F.; Mucciola, R.; Musumarra, A.; Negret, A.; Nolte, R.; Ogallar, F.; Oprea, A.; Patronis, N.; Pavlik, A.; Perkowski, J.; Piersanti, L.; Porras, I.; Praena, J.; Quesada, J. M.; Radeck, D.; Ramos Doval, D.; Reifarth, R.; Rochman, D.; Rubbia, C.; Sabate-Gilarte, M.; Saxena, A.; Schillebeeckx, P.; Schumann, D.; Smith, A. G.; Sosnin, N.; Stamatopoulos, A.; Tagliente, G.; Tain, J. L.; Talip, Z.; Tarifeno-Saldivia, A. E.; Tassan-Got, L.; Torres-Sanchez, P.; Tsinganis, A.; Ulrich, J.; Urlass, S.; Valenta, S.; Vannini, G.; Variale, V.; Vaz, P.; Ventura, A.; Vescovi, D.; Vlachoudis, V.; Vlastou, R.; Wallner, A.; Woods, P. J.; Wynants, R.; Wright, T. J.; Zugec, P.

doi:10.1016/j.physletb.2020.135405

The neutron capture cross section of 154Gd was measured from 1 eV to 300 keV in the experimental area located 185 m from the CERN n_TOF neutron spallation source, using a metallic sample of gadolinium, enriched to 67% in 154Gd. The capture measurement, performed with four C6D6 scintillation detectors, has been complemented by a transmission measurement performed at the GELINA time-of-flight facility (JRC-Geel), thus minimising the uncertainty related to sample composition. An accurate Maxwellian averaged capture cross section (MACS) was deduced over the temperature range of interest for s process nucleosynthesis modelling. We report a value of 880(50) mb for the MACS at kT=30 keV, significantly lower compared to values available in literature. The new adopted 154Gd(n,γ) cross section reduces the discrepancy between observed and calculated solar s-only isotopic abundances predicted by s-process nucleosynthesis models.