Nucleon-induced inelastic cross sections on natNi

This paper reports on the results of (n, n'gamma ) and (p, p'gamma ) cross section measurements on nickel performed (Bucharest-Magurele), respectively. The main goal was to reliably measure with small uncertainty the most intense transitions arising from the inelastic channel. Comparisons are performed between the extracted results, nuclear reaction model calculations using default parameter values, and previously reported measurements, if available. The broader goal of this paper is related to our study on the possibility of inferring neutron inelastic cross sections from the proton-induced ones, in this case for 58Ni. We show that-by making use of the Lane consistency of the nucleon optical model potential and of the constraints offered by the proton data-one can extract a neutron-target potential that better describes the experimental data, as compared to the calculation with default neutron parameters. We also discuss relevant issues and still open questions of our calculations along with future plans for mitigation.