Prompt Fission Neutron Emission Research Articles

Prompt fission neutron emission in the reaction 235U(n,f)

Experimental activities at JRC-Geel on prompt fission neutron (PFN) emission in response to OECD/NEA nuclear data requests are presented in this contribution. Specifically, on-going investigations of PFN emission from the reaction 235U(n,f) in the region of the resolved resonances, taking place at the GELINA facility, are presented. The focus of this contribution lies on studies of PFN correlations with fission fragment properties. The experiment employs a scintillation detector array for neutron detection, while fission fragment properties are determined via the double kinetic energy technique using a position sensitive twin ionization chamber. This setup allows us to study several correlations between properties of neutron and fission fragments simultaneously. Results on PFN correlations with fission fragment properties from the present study differ significantly from earlier studies on this reaction, induced by thermal neutrons.

Correlated fission data measurements with DANCE and NEUANCE

To enhance the capabilities of the DANCE array, a new detector array NEUANCE was developed to enable simultaneous measurements of prompt fission neutrons and γ rays. NEUANCE was designed and constructed using 21 stilbene organic scintillator crystals. It was installed in the central cavity of the DANCE array. Signals from the 160 BaF2 detectors of DANCE and the 21 detectors of NEUANCE were merged into a newly designed high-density high-throughput data acquisition system. The excellent pulse shape discrimination properties of stilbene enabled detection of neutrons with energy thresholds as low as 30–40 keVee. A fission reaction tagging method was developed using a NEUANCE γ-ray or neutron signal. The probability of detecting a neutron from the spontaneous fission of 252Cf using NEUANCE is ∼47%. New correlated data for prompt fission neutrons and prompt fission γ rays were obtained for 252Cf using this high detection efficiency experimental setup. Average properties of prompt fission neutron emission as a function of prompt fission γ-ray quantities were also obtained, suggesting that neutron and γ-ray emission in fission are correlated.

Prompt neutron emission and energy balance in 235U(n,f)

Investigations of prompt fission neutron (PFN) emission are of importance in understanding the fission process in general and the sharing of excitation energy among the fission fragments in particular. Experimental activities at JRC-Geel on PFN emission in response to OECD/NEA nuclear data requests is presented in this contribution. The focus lies on on-going investigations of PFN emission from the reaction 235 U(n,f) in the region of the resolved resonances taking place at the GELINA facility. For this reaction strong fluctuations of fission fragment mass distributions and mean total kinetic energy have been observed as a function of incident neutron energy in the resonance region. In addition, fluctuations of prompt neutron multiplicities have also been observed. The goal of the present study is to verify the current knowledge of PFN multiplicity fluctuations and to study correlations with fission fragment properties. The experiment employs a scintillation detector array for neutron detection, while fission fragment properties are determined via the double kinetic energy technique using a position sensitive twin ionization chamber. Results on PFN multiplicity correlations with fission fragment properties from the present study show significant differences compared to earlier studies on this reaction, induced by thermal neutrons. Specifically, the total kinetic energy dependence of the neutron multiplicity per fission shows an inverse slope FX 1TKE/FX 2ν approximately 35% weaker than observed in earlier studies of thermal neutron induced fission on 235 U. The inverse slope is related to the energy carried away per emitted neutron and is, thereby, closely connected to the energy balance of the fission reaction. The present result should have strong impact on the modeling of both prompt neutron and prompt γ-ray emission in fission of the 236 U compound nucleus.

Prompt Fission Neutron Experiments on 235U(n,f) and 252Cf(SF)

For nuclear modeling and improved evaluation of nuclear data knowledge about fluctuations of the prompt neutron multiplicity as a function of incident neutron energy is requested for the major actinides 235U and 239Pu. Experimental investigations of the prompt fission neutron emission in resonance neutron induced fission on 235U are taking place at the GELINA facility of the IRMM. The experiment employs an array of neutron scintillation-detectors (SCINTIA) in conjunction with a newly designed 3D position sensitive twin Frisch-grid ionization chamber. A preparatory experiment on prompt fission neutron emission in 252Cf(SF) was undertaken to verify analysis procedures relevant for the implementation of the SCINTIA neutron detector array. The available literature data on the TKE dependence of the multiplicity show strong deviations. Therefore, effort was focused on investigating experimental factors in low efficiency neutron counting experiments that may lead to faulty determination of this dependence. Taking these factors into account a result that agree well with data from high efficiency neutron counting experiments is obtained.

Prompt fission neutron emission: Problems and challenges

This paper presents some of the challenges ahead of us even after 75 years of the discovery of the fission process and large progress made since then. The focus is on application orientation, which requires improved measurements on fission cross-sections and neutron and γ -ray multiplicities. Experimental possibilities have vastly improved the past decade leading to developments of highly sophisticated detector systems and the use of digital data acquisition and signal processing. The development of innovative fast nuclear reactor technology needs improved respective nuclear data. Advancements in theoretical modelling also require better experimental data. Theory has made progress in calculating fission fragment distributions (i.e. GEF code) as well as prompt neutron and γ -ray emission to catch up with the improved experiments.

Calculation of Prompt Fission Neutron from 233U(n, f) Reaction by Multi-Modal Los Alamos Model

An attempt is made to improve the evaluation of the prompt fission neutron emission from 233U(n, f) reaction for incident neutron energies below 6 MeV. The multi-modal fission approach is applied to the improved version of Los Alamos model and the point by point model. The prompt fission neutron spectra and the prompt fission neutron as a function of fragment mass (usually named “sawtooth" data) υ(A) are calculated independently for the three most dominant fission modes (standard I, standard II and superlong), and the total spectra and υ(A) are synthesized. The multi-modal parameters are determined on the basis of experimental data of fission fragment mass distributions. The present calculation results can describe the experimental data very well, and the proposed treatment is thus a useful tool for prompt fission neutron emission prediction.

A new approach to prompt fission neutron TOF data treatment

Abstract The prompt neutron emission in spontaneous fission of 252Cf has been investigated applying digital signal electronics along with associated digital signal processing algorithms. A new mathematical approach, applicable to single events, was developed for prompt fission neutron (PFN) time-offlight distribution unfolding. The main goal was to understand the reasons of the long existing discrepancy between theoretical calculations and the measurements of prompt fission neutron (PFN) emission dependence on the total kinetic energy (TKE) of the fission fragments (FF). Since the 252 Cf (sf) reaction is one of the main references for nuclear data the understanding of the PFN emission mechanism is very important both for nuclear fission theory and nuclear data. The experimental data were taken with a twin Frisch-grid ionization chamber and a NE213-equivalent neutron detector in an experimental setup similar to the well known work of C. Budtz-Jorgensen and H.-H. Knitter. About 2.5 × 10 5 coincidences between fission fragment (FF) and neutron detector response to prompt fission neutron detection have been registered ( ∼ 1.6 × 10 7 of total recorded fission events). Fission fragment kinetic energy, mass and angular distribution, neutron time-of-flight and pulse shape have been investigated using a 12-bit waveform digitizer. The signal waveforms have been analyzed using digital signal processing algorithms. The main goal of this work was a detailed description of the prompt fission neutron treatment.

Systematic behaviour of the average parameters required for the Los Alamos model of prompt neutron emission

A large number of fissioning systems have been studied in the frame of the Los Alamos model which showed interesting regular behaviours of the average model parameters (the energy release in fission 〈 E r 〉, the total kinetic energy of the fission fragments 〈 TKE〉, the average neutron separation energy 〈 S n 〉 from the fission fragments, the prompt gamma-ray energy 〈 E γ 〉 and the level density parameter 〈 a〉 parameterized as 〈 C〉 = A/〈 a〉, where A is the mass number of the fissioning nucleus)) as well as of other quantities in connection with the prompt fission neutron emission (such as the total average prompt neutron multiplicity at thermal incident energy, the total average fission fragment excitation energy leading to prompt neutron emission, the total average prompt fission energy deposition, the average excitation energy given to the fragments, and the average center-of-mass energy of prompt neutrons and so on) and to elaborate systematics of model parameters. These systematic behaviours include two parts, the first one refers to the systematic behaviour of the average model parameters at thermal incident neutron energy and the second part contains the systematics concerning the average model parameter variation with the incident energy (or the same with the excitation energy of the fissioning nucleus). The relations expressing the systematic behaviour of the average model parameters can be a useful tool for prompt fission neutron data evaluation, their utility being relevant especially for fissioning nuclei that are far from the known and studied systems; these nuclei act as secondary fission chances of the main compound nucleus chain as well as of the secondary compound nucleus chains formed by charged particle emission at high incident energies. In cases with no experimental data and integral benchmarks, the regular behaviour of the nuclear quantities used to calculate prompt fission neutron emission can make possible an indirect validation of evaluation results.

Prompt fission neutron emission in neutron and proton induced reactions at intermediate energies

The generalized model for the description of the prompt fission neutron spectra and multiplicities at neutron and proton energies up to about 100 MeV is described. The three main emission mechanisms considered are the precompound emission, the pre-scission particle evaporation before the saddle point and at descent to the scission point, and the emission from excited fission fragments. The two-component exciton model is used for the description of the preequilibrium stage of the reaction. The time-dependent statistical model with inclusion of the nuclear friction effects describes particle evaporation starting just after the precompound emission stage and lasting for the duration of the evolution of the compound nucleus toward scission. The fragment mass distribution and fission fragment kinetic and excitation energies are determined from the properties of the composite system at the scission point. The particle spectra from the fission fragments are calculated within the statistical approach. These spectra are then transformed into the laboratory rest frame using the calculated fragment kinetic energies and are averaged over the calculated fragment mass distributions. The model was applied to analyze the prompt fission neutron characteristics in the proton and neutron induced fission of actinide nuclei, and comparisons with the experimental data in {supmore » 238}U(n,f), {sup 238}U(p,f), and {sup 242}Pu(p,f) reactions are presented.« less

Search for scission neutrons using specific angular correlations in 235U fission induced by slow polarized neutrons

The experimental data concerning scission (or prescission) neutrons are very contradictory—the relative part of these neutrons in the prompt fission neutrons varies from 1 to 35% owing to arbitrary assumptions made in different analyses. To solve this problem, we have used a new alternative method to search for the scission neutrons. We have found the left-right asymmetry of prompt-fission-neutron (PFN) emission caused by sp-wave interference in the entrance channel of the reaction and the P-odd asymmetry of the PFN emission caused by parity nonconservation at the exit channel of the fission process. Both effects cannot reside in PFN evaporated by excited fission fragments. The scission (or prescission) neutrons are responsible for these effects.

Measurement of the energy dependence of prompt fission neutron emission from 233U, 235U, and 239Pu for e = 0.0005 to 10 mev relative to emission from spontaneous fission of 252Cf

Abstract A series of experiments has been performed to measure the dependence on the incident neutron energy of v p(E), the average number of prompt neutrons emitted per fission, of 233U, 235U, and 239Pu relative to v p (252Cf), the average number of prompt neutrons emitted in spontaneous fission of 252Cf. The incident energy range was 0.0005 to 10 MeV. A white neutron source was generated by the Oak Ridge Electron Linear Accelerator and the energies of the neutrons incident on the fissile samples were determined by time-of-flight techniques. The fissile sample and the 252Cf standard were contained in a fission chamber surrounded by a large volume (0.91 m3) liquid scintillator loaded with gadolinium. Fissions were detected by the fission chamber and the neutrons were detected by the scintillator. The results for 239Pu agree over most of the energy range with the results of the evaluation of Manero and Konshin. However, the present results are larger for 235U than those of Manero and Konshin and for 233U t...

The systematics of the (n, 2n) cross section (the Csikai–Peto effect)

The Csikai–Peto effect has been re-evaluated by a statistical-model calculation method. Agreement and disagreement of the theory with the Csikai–Peto effect are analyzed in the light of the possible underlying mechanism, which in some aspects is close to that of prompt fission neutron emission. Future work related to the subject is proposed.