Fission Mode Influence on Prompt Neutrons and γ-rays Emitted in the Reaction 239Pu(nth,f)

Abstract

Recently, a Monte-Carlo code, which simulates the fission fragment de-excitation process, has been developed at CEA- Cadarache. Our aim is to get a tool capable to predict spectra and multiplicities of prompt particles (neutron and gamma) and to investigate possible correlations between fission observables. One of the main challenges is to define properly the share of the available excitation energy at scission between the two nascent fission fragments. Initially, after the full acceleration of the fission fragments, these excitation energies were treated within a Fermi-gas approximation in aT2 (where a and T stand for the level density parameter and the nuclear temperature) and a mass dependent law of the temperature ratio (RT=TL/TH, with TL and TH the temperature of the light and heavy fragment) has been proposed. With this RT-law, the main fission observables of the 252Cf(sf) could be reproduced. Here, in order to take into account the fission modes by which the fissioning nucleus undergoes to fission, we have adopted a specific RT-law for each fission mode. For actinides, the main fission modes are called Standard I, Standard II and Super Long (following Brosa's terminology). This new procedure has been applied in the case of the thermal neutron induced fission of 239Pu, reaction for which fission modes are rather well known.