Abstract: The neutron-induced fission cross-section of Am-241 has been measured relative to the standard fission cross-section of U-235 between 0.5 and 20 MeV. The experiment was performed at the CERN nTOF facility. Fission fragments were detected by a fast ionization chamber by discriminating against the alpha-particles from the high radioactivity of the samples. The high instantaneous neutron flux and the low background of the nTOF facility enabled us to obtain uncertainties of approximate to 5%. With the present results it was possible to resolve discrepancies between previous data sets and to confirm current evaluations, thus providing important information for design studies of future reactors with improved fuel burn-up.

Abstract: We study the appearance of structures in the decay of the B- into K-pi D--(s0)+ (2317) and K-pi D--(s1)+ (2460) final states by forming invariant mass distributions of pi D--(s0)+ and pi D--(s1)+ pairs, respectively. The structure in the distribution is associated to the kinematical triangle singularity that appears when the B- -> K- K*(0) D-0 (B- -> K- K*(0) D*(0)) decay process is followed by the decay of the K*(0) into pi(-) K+ and the subsequent rescattering of the K+ D-0 (K+ D*(0)) pair forming the D-s0(+) (2317) (D-s1(+) (2460)) resonance. We find this type of non-resonant peaks at 2850MeV in the invariant mass of pi D--(s0) pairs from B- -> K- pi(-) D-s0(+) (2317) decays and around 3000MeV in the invariant mass of pi D--(s1)+ pairs from B- -> K- pi(-) D-s1(+)(2460) decays. By employing the measured branching ratios of the B- -> K- K*(0) D-0 and B- -> K- K*(0) D*(0) decays, we predict the branching ratios for the processes B- into K-pi D--(s0)+ (2317) K-pi D--(s1)+ (2460), in the vicinity of the triangle singularity peak, to be about 8 x 10(-6) and 1 x 10(-6), respectively. The observation of this reaction would also give extra support to the molecular picture of the D-s0(+)(2317) and D-s1(+)(2460).

Abstract: Neutron capture cross section measurements on Gd-155 and Gd-157 were performed using the time-of-flight technique at the nTOF facility at CERN on isotopically enriched samples. The measurements were carried out in the nTOF experimental area EAR1, at 185 m from the neutron source, with an array of 4 C6D6 liquid scintillation detectors. At a neutron kinetic energy of 0.0253 eV, capture cross sections of 62.2(2.2) and 239.8(8.4) kilobarn have been derived for Gd-155 and Gd-157, respectively, with up to 6% deviation relative to values presently reported in nuclear data libraries, but consistent with those values within 1.6 standard deviations. A resonance shape analysis has been performed in the resolved resonance region up to 181 eV and 307 eV, respectively for Gd-155 and Gd-157, where on average, resonance parameters have been found in good agreement with evaluations. Above these energies and up to 1 keV, the observed resonance-like structure of the cross section has been analysed and characterised. From a statistical analysis of the observed neutron resonances we deduced: neutron strength function of 2.01(28)x10-4 and 2.17(41)x10-4; average total radiative width of 106.8(14) meV and 101.1(20) meV and s-wave resonance spacing 1.6(2) eV and 4.8(5) eV for n + Gd-155 and n + Gd-157 systems, respectively.