Experimental cross section of the ${}^{164}$Dy(n,γ)${}^{165}$Dy reaction at the neutron energy of 0.0372 eV using Neutron Diffraction Facility

The neutron capture cross section for the ${}^{164}$Dy(n,γ)${}^{165}$Dy reaction at 0.0372 eV energy was measured using the horizontal channel (Neutron Diffraction Facility) of Es-Salam nuclear research reactor in Birine-Algeria. The Neutron Activation Analysis (NAA) technique using ${}^{197}$Au(n,γ)${}^{198}$Au as reference reaction was adopted. The γ ray spectra for the Dy${}_2$O${}_3$ target powder and two thin gold foil were detected for the Germanium Hyper Pure coupled in the Genie 2000 data acquisition software. A resulting σ-value (2198.5 ± 94) b was measured for the thermal neutron cross section after correcting the thermal neutron self-shielding and γ attenuation effects. The measured value was then compared to the evaluated cross sections reported in two different libraries of neutron databases ENDF/B-VIII.0 and JEFF-3.3. The measured data at 0.0372 eV has been extrapolated to the energy of 0.0253 eV assuming 1/ν dependence in the thermal energy region and the result was compared with the fully measured values reported in the literature.