Neutron interactions with germanium isotopes and amorphous and crystalline GeO2

Coherent neutron scattering lengths and total cross sections have been measured on elemental and oxide samples of ordinary Ge and of isotopically enriched substances. From the experimental results the following values were obtained:

the coherent scattering lengths (in fm) of the bound atoms Ge(8.185±0.020);⁷⁰Ge(10.0±0.1);⁷²Ge(8.51±0.10);⁷³Ge(5.02±0.04);⁷⁴Ge(7.58±0.10) and⁷⁶Ge(8.2 ±1.5);

the absorption cross sections at 0.0253 eV (in barn) for Ge(2.20±0.04);⁷⁰Ge(2.9±0.2);⁷²Ge(0.8±0.2);⁷³Ge(14.4±0.4) and⁷⁴Ge(0.4±0.2);

the free cross sections for epithermal neutrons and the zero energy scattering cross sections.

On the basis of this data, the isotopic- and spin-incoherent cross sections and thes-wave resonance contributions to the coherent scattering lengths have been determined and discussed. Transmission measurements at 0.57 meV on amorphous and crystalline GeO₂ yielded for the amorphous sample an inelastic cross section eight times larger than for the crystalline samples. This effect corresponds to a clearly higher density of low energy states in the amorphous than in the crystalline substances.