Measurement and Analysis of the ²³Na(n,xγ) Reaction Cross Section for 0.2 ≤ E_n ≤20 MeV

Differential cross sections for neutron-induced gamma-ray production from sodium have been measured for incident-neutron energies between 0.2 and 20.0 MeV. Gamma rays with energies 0.35 ≤ E_γ ≤ 10.6 MeV were detected with a sodium iodide spectrometer at 125 deg. The data presented are the double-differential cross section, d²σ/dΩdE, for coarse intervals in incident-neutron energy. The measured results are compared with existing data, with calculations based on multistep Hauser-Feshbach theory, and with a benchmark gamma-ray production measurement performed at the Oak Ridge Tower Shielding Facility (TSF). Average agreement between our measured results and model calculations is within 15%. The cross sections measured at the TSF are typically 30% larger than our results, except for gamma-ray energies between 1.1 and 1.5 MeV where the TSF benchmark predicts a yield 20 times greater than we observe. Results of the present measurement have been incorporated for the gamma-ray production in the Evaluated Nuclear Data File.