| Indirect neutron capture (n,γ) cross sections have been extracted for the key thorium cycle nuclei 232Th, 231Pa, and 230Th using the surrogate reaction method. Final nucleus γ-decay probabilities were measured between the neutron binding energy and around 1 MeV above it using the 232Th(d,p)233Th, 232Th(3He,t)232Pa, and 232Th(3He,α)231Th reactions in experiments with the CACTUS γ-detector array and Silicon Ring charged-particle detectors at the Oslo Cyclotron Laboratory. Because the neutron capture cross section for 232Th is already well known from direct measurements a comparison with these results provides a stringent test of the applicability of the surrogate method in the actinide region for indirect (n,γ) cross-section measurements. In addition, a new technique for correcting measured γ-ray decay probabilities below the neutron emission energy threshold is proposed and used. We find good agreement between indirect and direct (n,γ) cross-section measurements in the range 500 keV-1 MeV, but large discrepancies outside this range. Explanations for the observed differences are proposed. |
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