Measurement of the {sup 237}Np(n,{gamma}) cross section from 20 meV to 500 keV with a high efficiency, highly segmented 4{pi} BaF{sub 2} detector

The {sup 237}Np(n,{gamma}){sup 238}Np cross section has been measured in the neutron energy range from 20 meV to 500 keV using the DANCE array at the Los Alamos National Laboratory. This new facility allows experiments with submilligram samples and is therefore well suited to investigate isotopes with half-lives as low as a few hundred days. In this benchmark measurement, only 0.42 mg of {sup 237}Np was sufficient to determine differential cross sections relative to the well-known resonance at 0.5 eV. The thermal cross section was measured to {sigma}{sub 2200m/s}=177{+-}5 barn, {sigma}{sub kT=25.3meV}=167{+-}4 barn and the resonance integral to RI=693{+-}6 barn.