Abstract
A general expression for temperature-dependent Legendre moments of a double-differential elastic scattering cross section was derived by Ouisloumen and Sanchez [Nucl. Sci. Eng. 107, 189-200 (1991)]. Attempts to compute this expression are hindered by the three-fold nested integral, limiting their practical application to just the zeroth Legendre moment of an isotropic scattering. It is shown that the two innermost integrals could be evaluated analytically to all orders of Legendre moments, and for anisotropic scattering, by a recursive application of the integration by parts method. For this method to work, the anisotropic angular distribution in the center of mass is expressed as an expansion in Legendre polynomials. The first several Legendre moments of elastic scattering of neutrons on U-238 are computed at T=1000 K at incoming energy 6.5 eV for isotropic scattering in the center of mass frame. Legendre moments of the anisotropic angular distribution given via Blatt-Biedenharn coefficients are computed at ~1 keV. The results are in agreement with those computed by the Monte Carlo method.
