Background:The design of new nuclear reactors and transmutation devices requires to reduce the present neutron cross section uncertainties of minor actinides. Purpose: Reduce the $^{243}$Am(n,$gamma$) cross section uncertainty. Method: The $^{243}$Am
(n,$gamma$) cross section has been measured at the n_TOF facility at CERN with a BaF$_{2}$ Total Absorption Calorimeter, in the energy range between 0.7 eV and 2.5 keV. Results: The $^{243}$Am(n,$gamma$) cross section has been successfully measured in the mentioned energy range. The resolved resonance region has been extended from 250 eV up to 400 eV. In the unresolved resonance region our results are compatible with one of the two incompatible capture data sets available below 2.5 keV. The data available in EXFOR and in the literature has been used to perform a simple analysis above 2.5 keV. Conclusions: The results of this measurement contribute to reduce the $^{243}$Am(n,$gamma$) cross section uncertainty and suggest that this cross section is underestimated up to 25% in the neutron energy range between 50 eV and a few keV in the present evaluated data libraries.
At the n_TOF experiment at CERN a dedicated single-crystal chemical vapor deposition (sCVD) Diamond Mosaic-Detector has been developed for (n,$alpha$) cross-section measurements. The detector, characterized by an excellent time and energy resolution,
consists of an array of 9 sCVD diamond diodes. The detector has been characterized and a cross-section measurement has been performed for the $^{59}$Ni(n,$alpha$)$^{56}$Fe reaction in 2012. The characteristics of the detector, its performance and the promising preliminary results of the experiment are presented.
