Ni-63(n,gamma) cross sections measured with DANCE

Abstract

The neutron capture cross section of the s-process branch nucleus Ni63 affects the abundances of other nuclei in its region, especially Cu63 and Zn64. In order to determine the energy-dependent neutron capture cross section in the astrophysical energy region, an experiment at the Los Alamos National Laboratory has been performed using the calorimetric 4πBaF2 array DANCE. The (n,γ) cross section of Ni63 has been determined relative to the well-known Au197 standard with uncertainties below 15%. Various Ni63 resonances have been identified based on the Q value. Furthermore, the s-process sensitivity of the new values was analyzed with the new network calculation tool NETZ.