Investigation of the Ar-37(n, p)Cl-37 and Ar-37(n, alpha) S-34 reactions in the neutron energy range from 10 meV to 100 keV

The Ar-37(n, p)Cl-37 and Ar-37(n, alpha)S-34 reactions were studied for the first time as a function of the neutron energy at the neutron spectrometer GELINA at the IRMM in Geel (Belgium). For the Ar-37(n, alpha)S-34 reaction, cross section data were obtained covering the neutron energy region from 10 meV up to 100 keV, but the sensitivity was too low to observe the Ar-37(n, p)Cl-37 reaction. In the low energy region, the (n, alpha) cross-section was shown to have a 1/v shape, while in the keV region several resonances were determined and subsequently analysed. Finally, the Maxwellian averaged cross section value was calculated at astrophysically relevant temperatures.