First Results of the 140Ce(n,γ)141Ce Cross-Section Measurement at n_TOF
Authors: Amaducci Simone , Colonna Nicola , Cosentino Luigi , Cristallo Sergio , Finocchiaro Paolo , Krtička Milan , Massimi Cristian , Mastromarco Mario , Mazzone Annamaria , Mengoni Alberto , Valenta Stanislav , Aberle Oliver , Alcayne Victor , Andrzejewski Józef , Audouin Laurent , Babiano-Suarez Victor , Bacak Michael , Barbagallo Massimo , Bennett Samuel , Berthoumieux Eric , Billowes Jon , Bosnar Damir , Brown Adam , Busso Maurizio , Caamaño Manuel , Caballero-Ontanaya Luis , Calviño Francisco , Calviani Marco , Cano-Ott Daniel , Casanovas Adria , Cerutti Francesco , Chiaveri Enrico , Cortés Guillem , Cortés-Giraldo Miguel , Damone Lucia-Anna , Davies Paul-John , Diakaki Maria , Dietz Mirco , Domingo-Pardo Cesar , Dressler Rugard , Ducasse Quentin , Dupont Emmeric , Durán Ignacio , Eleme Zinovia , Fernández-Domínguez Beatriz , Ferrari Alfredo , Furman Valter , Göbel Kathrin , Garg Ruchi , Gawlik Aleksandra , Gilardoni Simone , Gonçalves Isabel , González-Romero Enrique , Guerrero Carlos , Gunsing Frank , Harada Hideo , Heinitz Stephan , Heyse Jan , Jenkins David , Junghans Arnd , Käppeler Franz , Kadi Yacine , Kimura Atsushi , Knapova Ingrid , Kokkoris Michael , Kopatch Yuri , Kurtulgil Deniz , Ladarescu Ion , Lederer-Woods Claudia , Leeb Helmut , Lerendegui-Marco Jorge , Lonsdale Sarah-Jane , Macina Daniela , Manna Alice , Martínez Trinitario , Masi Alessandro , Mastinu Pierfrancesco , Maugeri Emilio-Andrea , Mendoza Emilio , Michalopoulou Veatriki , Milazzo Paolo , Mingrone Federica , Moreno-Soto Javier , Musumarra Agatino , Negret Alexandru , Ogállar Francisco , Oprea Andreea , Patronis Nikolas , Pavlik Andreas , Perkowski Jarosław , Piersanti Luciano , Petrone Cristina , Pirovano Elisa , Porras Ignacio , Praena Javier , Quesada José-Manuel , Ramos-Doval Diego , Rauscher Thomas , Reifarth René , Rochman Dimitri , Rubbia Carlo , Sabaté-Gilarte Marta , Saxena Alok , Schillebeeckx Peter , Schumann Dorothea , Sekhar Adhitya , Smith Gavin , Sosnin Nikolay , Sprung Peter , Stamatopoulos Athanasios , Tagliente Giuseppe , Tain José , Tarifeño-Saldivia Ariel , Tassan-Got Laurent , Thomas Benedikt , Torres-Sánchez Pablo , Tsinganis Andrea , Ulrich Jiri , Urlass Sebastian , Vannini Gianni , Variale Vincenzo , Vaz Pedro , Ventura Alberto , Vescovi Diego , Vlachoudis Vasilis , Vlastou Rosa , Wallner Anton , Woods PhilipJohn , Wright Tobias , Žugec Petar 
Published: June 2021

An accurate measurement of the 140Ce(n,γ) energy-dependent cross-section was performed at the n_TOF facility at CERN. This cross-section is of great importance because it represents a bottleneck for the s-process nucleosynthesis and determines to a large extent the cerium abundance in stars. The measurement was motivated by the significant difference between the cerium abundance measured in globular clusters and the value predicted by theoretical stellar models. This discrepancy can be ascribed to an overestimation of the 140Ce capture cross-section due to a lack of accurate nuclear data. For this measurement, we used a sample of cerium oxide enriched in 140Ce to 99.4%. The experimental apparatus consisted of four deuterated benzene liquid scintillator detectors, which allowed us to overcome the difficulties present in the previous measurements, thanks to their very low neutron sensitivity. The accurate analysis of the p-wave resonances and the calculation of their average parameters are fundamental to improve the evaluation of the 140Ce Maxwellian-averaged cross-section.