Measurement of the neutron-induced fission cross section of ^243 Am relative to ^235 U in the neutron energy range of 0.3–500 MeV and its analysis

The ^243 Am fission cross section was measured for incident neutron energies from 0.3 MeV to 500 MeV on the time-of-flight spectrometer of the neutron complex GNEIS at the NRC “Kurchatov Institute” – PNPI. Fission fragments were registered using position-sensitive low-pressure multiwire counters, which made it possible to simultaneously measure the angular distributions of fission fragments. As a result of processing these distributions, the energy dependence of the angular anisotropy of fission fragments of ^243 Am in a wide range of neutron energies was determined for the first time. The cross section of ^243 Am(n, f) was measured relative to the ^235 U(n, f) cross section. The obtained data are compared with the results of other experimental works. Theoretical estimates for the fission cross section and anisotropy of angular distribution of fission fragments for the ^243 Am(n, f) reaction are presented and discussed.