96Zr(n, γ) measurement at the nTOF facility at CERN

The (n, γ) cross section of 96Zr has been investigated at the CERN nTOF spallation neutron source. High-resolution time-of-flight measurements using an enriched ZrO2 sample allowed us to analyze 15 resonances below 40 keV with improved accuracy. On average, the capture widths were found to be 25% smaller than reported in earlier experiments. If complemented with the contribution by direct radiative capture, the derived Maxwellian averaged cross sections are consistent with activation data at kT=25 keV. The present results confirm the astrophysical implications for the s-process branching at 95Zr.