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The $$^{96}\rm{Zr}(n,\gamma)^{97}Zr$$ reaction cross sections relative to $$^{197}\rm{Au}(n,\gamma)^{198}Au$$ monitor reaction with the neutron energies of 0.61 and 1.05 MeV from the 7Li(p,n)7Be reaction have been measured for the first time by using the activation and off-line $\gamma$ -ray spectrometric technique. The error analysis of the experimental data was done by considering the partial uncertainties in various attributes and the correlations between those attributes were reported through covariance analysis. The present experimental cross sections have been compared with the theoretical prediction by TALYS-1.8 using the back-shifted Fermi gas model and Brink-Axel Lorentzian $\gamma$ -ray strength functions. The TALYS-1.8 calculations well predicted the present experimental cross sections at both neutron energies. The spectrum averaged neutron capture cross sections of 96Zr obtained in the present work have also been compared with the evaluated cross sections from ENDF/B-VIII.0, JENDL-4, JEFF-3.3, CENDL-3.1 and TENDL-2015 libraries. They are found to be in close agreement with the TENDL-2015 and CENDL-3.1 libraries at the neutron energies of 0.61 and 1.05 MeV.

Excitation functions of proton-induced reactions for the natural iron and zirconium targets were measured from their respective threshold energies to 22 and 20 MeV. The conventional stacked foil technique was used in combination with the off-line $\gamma$ -ray spectroscopy at the BARC-TIFR Pelletron facility, Mumbai. The computer code SRIM 2013 was used to calculate the energy degradation along the stack and the proton beam intensity was measured via the natCu(p,x)62Zn monitor reaction. The measured excitation functions were then compared with the literature data available in EXFOR database as well as with the theoretical values from the TALYS-1.8 code and the TENDL-2017 data library. The shapes of the excitation function for all the reactions were reproduced well by TALYS-1.8. In terms of absolute values, for some reactions the data are in good agreement with both the literature data and TALYS-1.8 whereas, for others there is a slight deviation either from the literature data or from the theoretical values of TALYS-1.8 and TENDL-2017.