Inelastic scattering of neutrons in the energy region from 5 to 8 MeV by Nb

Differential cross sections have been measured for elastic and inelastic scattering of neutrons with energies 5.23, 6.22, 7.23, and 8.01 MeV by 93Nb. The principal parameters of the spectrometer and the experimental results are given. The cross sections obtained agree with the existing data of other authors. A theoretical analysis has shown that inelastic scattering occurs at these energies through the statistical and direct mechanisms. The cross sections calculated according to the Hauser-Feshbach model, by the method of strong channeling coupling, and in the distorted-wave Born approximation agree with the experimental data