Examination of the surrogate ratio method for the determination of the Zr 93 ( n , γ ) Zr 94 cross section with Zr 90 , 92 ( O 18 , O 16 ) Zr 92 , 94 reactions

The relative $\ensuremath{\gamma}$-decay probability ratios of the neutron resonance states in $^{94}\mathrm{Zr}$ and $^{92}\mathrm{Zr}$ populated via two-neutron transfer reactions, $^{92}\mathrm{Zr}(^{18}\mathrm{O},^{16}\mathrm{O})^{94}\mathrm{Zr}$ and $^{90}\mathrm{Zr}(^{18}\mathrm{O},^{16}\mathrm{O})^{92}\mathrm{Zr}$, have been measured to test the validity of the surrogate ratio method (SRM) in determining the $(n, \ensuremath{\gamma})$ reaction cross section. The cross sections of the $^{93}\mathrm{Zr}(n,\ensuremath{\gamma})^{94}\mathrm{Zr}$ reaction are derived from the experimentally obtained ratios and the cross sections of the $^{91}\mathrm{Zr}(n,\ensuremath{\gamma})^{92}\mathrm{Zr}$ reaction in the equivalent neutron energy range of ${E}_{n}=0\text{--}8\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}\mathrm{MeV}$. The deduced cross sections of $^{93}\mathrm{Zr}(n,\ensuremath{\gamma})^{94}\mathrm{Zr}$ reaction agree with the directly measured ones in the low-energy region, and with the evaluated ENDF/B-VII.1 data at higher energies of ${E}_{n}g3\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}\mathrm{MeV}$. The agreement supports the concept of the SRM method to indirectly determine the $(n,\ensuremath{\gamma})$ reaction cross sections.