Low-energy γ-rays from resonance neutron capture in ¹⁸¹Ta(n, γ)¹⁸²Ta

Abstract

The intensities of the γ-transitions at 134, 173, 270, 296, 403 and 482 keV in ¹⁸²Ta. have been measured for about 30 neutron resonances in ¹⁸¹Ta(n,γ)¹⁸²Ta up to 200 eV neutron energy using a Ge(Li) detector. The intensity ratio of the 270 keV transition to the Compton height of the γ-spectrum indicates a grouping of the strengths according to the capture spins 3 and 4. Spin assignments have been made for 25 resonances. From the decays of the 134 and 482 keV γ-lines respectively, the half-life of the ^181mTa isomer, $\text{t}\text{1}\text{2}\text{= 18.5±1.0 μ}\text{sec}$, was obtained.