Beta and gamma decay heat measurements between 0.1s - 50,000s for neturon fission of {sup 235}U, {sup 238}U and {sup 239}Pu. Progress report, June 1, 1992--December 31, 1994

Abstract

In the investigations reported here, a helium-jet/tape-transport system was used for the rapid transfer of fission products to a low-background environment where their aggregate beta and gamma-ray spectra were measured as a function of delay time after neutron induced fission of {sup 235}U, {sup 238}U and {sup 239}Pu. Beta and gamma-ray energy distributions have been deduced for delay times as short as 0.2 s and extending out to 100,000s. Instrumentation development during the initial phase of the project included: (1) assembly and characterization of a NaI(Tl) spectrometer for determining aggregate gamma-ray energy distributions, (2) development and characterization of a beta spectrometer (having excellent gamma-ray rejection) for measuring aggregate beta-particle energy distributions, (3) assembly and characterization of a Compton-suppressed HPGe spectrometer for determining gamma-ray intensities of individual fission products to deduce fission-product yields. Spectral decomposition and analysis codes were developed for deducing energy distributions from measured aggregate beta and gamma spectra. The aggregate measurements in the time interval 0.2 - 20s after fission are of special importance since in this region data from many short-lived nuclei are missing and summation calculations in this region rely on model calculations for a large fraction of their predicted beta and gamma decay heat energy spectra. Comparison with ENDF/B-VI fission product data was performed in parallel with the measurements through a close collaboration with Dr. T. England at LANL, assisted by one of our graduate students. Such aggregate measurements provide tests of the Gross Theory of beta decay used to calculated missing contributions to this data base. Fission-product yields deduced from the HPGe studies will check the accuracy of the semi-empirical Gaussian dispersion model used presently by evaluators in the absence of measured yields.