238U (n,f) measurements below 30 keV

The 238U (n,f) cross section has been measured from 3 eV to about 30 keV with the lead slowing down spectrometer at the RPI Linac. Four fission ionization chambers containing a total of about 0.8 gm of 238U (4.1 ppm 235U) were used for the measurements. The fission widths of the 6.67, 20.9, and the 36.8 eV resonances were measured as (10 +- 1), (58 +- 9), and (12 +- 2) nanoelectron-volts respectively. The fission cross section integrated over the two subthreshold groups at 720 and 1210 eV and the average fission cross section from 10 to 30 keV are in agreement with a previous time of flight measurement. The fission width at 6.67 eV is 20 times smaller than an upper limit set by the only reported measurement in this energy region; the fission widths obtained in the present investigation are consistent with the (30 +- 50) nanoelectronvolt average width previously obtained for the resonances between 37 and 327 eV in a time of flight measurement using a nuclear device. From the measured fission widths, the 238U thermal fission cross section was determined to be 2.7 +- 0.3 μ barns. The resonance fission integral was also obtained from the data as 1.33 +- 0.15 mbarns for 238U. (4 figures, 4 tables) (U.S.)