Evaluation of Silicon Neutron Resonance Parameters in the Energy Range Thermal to 1800 keV

The evaluation of the neutron cross sections of the three stable isotopes of silicon in the energy range thermal to 20 MeV was performed by Hetrick et al. for ENDF/B-VI (Evaluated Nuclear Data File). Resonance parameters were obtained in the energy range thermal to 1500 keV from a SAMMY analysis of the Oak Ridge National Laboratory experimental neutron transmission data. A new measurement of the capture cross section of natural silicon in the energy range 1 to 700 keV has recently been performed at the Oak Ridge Electron Linear Accelerator. Results of this measurement were used in a SAMMY reevaluation of the resonance parameters, allowing determination of the capture width of a large number of resonances. The experimental data base is described; properties of the resonance parameters are given. For the first time the direct neutron capture component has been taken into account from the calculation by Rauscher et al. in the energy range from thermal to 1 MeV. Results of benchmark calculations are also given. The new evaluation is available in the ENDF/B-VI format.