Spontaneous Fission Of 252Cf Research Articles

Neutron spectroscopy and spectral unfolding with 4He fast neutron scintillators

Time-of-flight measurements were performed to determine the 4He pressurized fast neutron scintillation detectors response function and the ability of the detectors to be applied as a spectrometer. An experimentally validated neutron energy response function was used in conjunction with an iterative least squares unfolding technique to unfold a 252Cf spontaneous fission spectrum, a PuBe (α, n) spectrum, and a deuterium–deuterium (D–D) fusion reaction spectrum. The ability of the detectors to retain incident neutron energies makes them suitable for applications such as nuclear non-proliferation and spent nuclear fuel monitoring.

Computational investigation of arranged scintillating particle composites for fast neutron detection

Composite materials have the potential to play an important role in enabling high-performance and cost-effective neutron detectors for fundamental science, global security, and dosimetry applications. This study presents neutron and gamma transport simulation results on composites consisting of 6Li-containing GS20 scintillator glass particles arranged in an organic matrix. These composites achieve high sensitivity for neutrons while suppressing signals from gamma rays. The simulations successfully identified optimal composite parameters such as particle size, geometry, and inter-particle pitch. This information is key to the subsequent fabrication and scale-up of the desired GS20-in-acrylic composite. The simulation results presented in this paper demonstrate that arranged composites can provide high neutron detection efficiency with gamma misidentification values of <1 in 106 gamma rays, assuming irradiation with a 252Cf spontaneous fission source.

Angular and Energy Distributions of Prompt Fission Neutrons from the Thermal-Neutron Induced Fission of 233U, 235U, and 239Pu and the Spontaneous Fission of 252Cf

The results are presented from experimental studies of the mechanism behind the emission of prompt fission neutrons. Angular and energy distributions of prompt neutrons emitted in the thermal-neutron induced fission of 233U, 235U, and 239Pu and the spontaneous fission of 252Cf are analyzed using the model of neutron emission from fully accelerated fragments. The yield of scission neutrons and the anisotropy of prompt neutron emission are estimated in the fission fragment center-of-mass system.

Calculations to Support In Situ Neutron Yield Calibrations at the Joint European Torus

The fusion power output of fusion plasmas is measured using the neutron yield detectors due to its linear relation to the fusion yield. Absolutely calibrated neutron yield detectors are thus a crucial part of the plasma diagnostics system and the absolute accuracy of their calibration must be ensured.The transition of the Joint European Torus’s (JET’s) first wall material from carbon (C) wall to ITER-like (Be/W/C) first wall was a significant change in the structure of the machine and recalibration of the main neutron yield detectors was needed to maintain the required measurement uncertainty of less than ±10%. The neutron yield detectors were thus recalibrated through two in situ calibrations to deuterium-deuterium neutrons in 2013 and deuterium-tritium neutrons in 2017 using 252Cf spontaneous fission source and a compact neutron generator, respectively.We describe the extensive neutronics calculations performed in support of these latest calibration experiments. These analyses were performed using Monte Carlo simulations to better understand the calibration procedure, optimize the experiments, ensure personnel safety, and quantify the effects of the uncharacteristic circumstances during calibration experiments. This paper focuses on assessments of the effects of the uncharacteristic circumstances, e.g., the presence of the remote handling system in the machine due to its use in neutron source delivery, difference in the neutron emission spectrum, and differences in the neutron source shape. Lessons learned, findings, and relevance for calibrations of future large tokamaks are discussed.

Characterization of lithium-glass and polyvinyl toluene heterogeneous composites with varying geometries for fast neutron detection

In heterogeneous composite neutron detectors, materials with dissimilar characteristics are optically coupled to achieve functionalities that extend beyond those enabled by intrinsic properties of constituent materials. However, the mismatched optical properties of the dissimilar materials introduce light scattering inside the detector, which could potentially affect its performance. Understanding the effects of the glass filler shape and content on light transport and light output is crucial for developing high performance composite detectors. Detectors with glass rods and shards were fabricated and characterized using UV/Vis, gamma, and neutron sources. The glass/PVT interfacial surface area significantly affects the light transmission; the highest reduction is measured with the shards which have higher surface area than the rods. The light output is impacted more significantly by the glass weight content than by the filler shape. The dimensions of the rods detector are 12.7 cm x 12.7 cm and those of the shards detector are 7 cm x 3.8 cm. The neutron intrinsic efficiencies of the fabricated detectors were also measured for 252Cf spontaneous fission neutrons and found to be 4.80 ± 0.05% and 0.097 ± 0.036% for the larger rods detector and the prototype shards detector, respectively, with good gamma rejection for both (measured to be better than 10−4).

A comparison of Monte Carlo fission models for safeguards neutron coincidence counters

Monte Carlo simulation is a powerful tool used to model neutron coincidence detectors for international safeguards. The simulation has typically sampled properties such as the fission neutron multiplicity, energy, and direction, from independent probability density functions. However, multiplicity counters detect event-based neutron correlations and thus more accurate fission event modeling is needed. To respond to this need, the Fission Reaction Event Yield Algorithm (FREYA) and the Cascading Gamma-ray Multiplicity with Fission (CGMF) models were added in the newest version of MCNP, MCNP6.2. The models simulate individual fission events conserving momentum, energy, and angular momentum such that correlated particles are emitted.The effects of the new models on simulations of safeguards neutron coincidence counters were studied and compared to standard MCNP simulations. The MCNPX-PoliMi model was also included in the comparison. The properties of fission neutrons from safeguards relevant isotopes were compared to literature references. Then a hypothetical simplified detector was modeled to isolate the effects of specific differences between models. Experimental measurements from previous work were modeled and agreements were compared. Finally, the probabilities of correlated events occurring in the experimental measurements were calculated with the different models. For example, the probability was calculated of detecting neutrons from both induced fission in uranium and spontaneous fission of Cf-252 in the same fission chain.

Fission fragment velocity distribution measurement using time of flight technique

Two large area position sensitive Multi Wire Proportional Counters (MWPCs) have been developed for the detection of Fission Fragments (FFs). The detectors were characterized using FFs from 252Cf source to obtain position information by employing delay-line read out method and the resolution is about 1 mm in both X and Y directions. Velocity distribution of the FFs produced from spontaneous fission of 252Cf has been measured employing a time-of-flight (TOF) technique, using a barium fluoride (BaF2) detector and a MWPC. The most probable velocities obtained for the heavy and light fragment groups are 1.035 ± 0.003 and 1.378 ± 0.004 cm/ns, respectively. The energy dependence of fragment velocity distribution was also studied after degrading the energy of the fragments by using Mylar foils. It is observed that the width of the distribution for the heavy fission fragments decreases with the reduction in the energies, but for light fragments it does not show any significant dependence on the energy.

Monte Carlo simulation of biological shielding parameters in PGNAA

A prompt γ neutron activation analysis (PGNAA) facility based on a 252 Cf spontaneous fission neutron was performed with the final goal of obtaining various optimised radiation protection design parameters. MCNP Monte Carlo code was used to simulate the lead (Pb) shield thickness on two sides of the sample chamber, and B4 C, B2O3, LiOH, LiF, and borax were selected as neutron-absorbing materials that were simulated to determine optimal parameters for the optimal design of a biological multilayer composite shield. A series of calculations performed with the MCNP code indicated that the 5 cm thick Pb innermost layer of a biological shield rapidly reduced fast neutrons, and a moderation layer of 25 cm thick paraffin, 20 mm thick borax, and 2 mm thick B4 C were selected as neutron-absorbing materials. The calculated biological shield protection parameters satisfied the requirements of the PGNAA facility used in the experiment.

Unfolding the prompt gamma ray spectra measured in a Lanthanum Bromide detector using GRAVEL method

Prompt fission Υ -ray energy spectra in spontaneous fission of 252Cf has been measured using a 3′′ × 6′′ LaBr3(Ce) detector. Unfolding of the measured Υ -ray energy spectra has been carried out using GRAVEL method. The response matrix of the detector has been simulated using GEANT4 and the unfolding of Υ -ray energy spectra for 60Co and 137Cs sources have been validated. This unfolding technique has then been applied to the prompt gamma spectra obtained from the spontaneous fission of 252Cf.

Evaluation of the Neutron Data Standards

With the need for improving existing nuclear data evaluations, (e.g., ENDF/B-VIII.0 and JEFF-3.3 releases) the first step was to evaluate the standards for use in such a library. This new standards evaluation made use of improved experimental data and some developments in the methodology of analysis and evaluation. In addition to the work on the traditional standards, this work produced the extension of some energy ranges and includes new reactions that are called reference cross sections. Since the effort extends beyond the traditional standards, it is called the neutron data standards evaluation. This international effort has produced new evaluations of the following cross section standards: the H(n,n), 6Li(n,t), 10B(n,α), 10B(n,α1γ), natC(n,n), Au(n,γ), 235U(n,f) and 238U(n,f). Also in the evaluation process the 238U(n,γ) and 239Pu(n,f) cross sections that are not standards were evaluated. Evaluations were also obtained for data that are not traditional standards: the Maxwellian spectrum averaged cross section for the Au(n,γ) cross section at 30 keV; reference cross sections for prompt γ-ray production in fast neutron-induced reactions; reference cross sections for very high energy fission cross sections; the 252Cf spontaneous fission neutron spectrum and the 235U prompt fission neutron spectrum induced by thermal incident neutrons; and the thermal neutron constants. The data and covariance matrices of the uncertainties were obtained directly from the evaluation procedure.

Neutron anisotropic evaporation and scission emission in fission

Experimental neutron distributions have been investigated in the spontaneous fission of 252Cf at IPHC in Strasbourg. The CORA experiment associating the CODIS twin ionisation chamber and the neutron multi-detector DEMON aimed to solve an long-standing problem in fission: the possible emission of scission neutrons and/or the presence of a dynamical anisotropy in the neutron evaporation by the moving fission fragments. A new method allowing to establish the dynamical anisotropy in an independent way is presented. The results obtained from a comparison with simulations based on GEANT4 are shown.

Fast-timing measurements in neutron-rich odd-mass zirconium isotopes using LaBr3:Ce detectors coupled with Gammasphere

A fast-timing experiment was performed at the Argonne National Laboratory to measure the lifetimes of the lowest lying states of nuclei belonging to the deformed regions around mass number A≃110 and A≃150. These regions were populated via spontaneous fission of 252Cf and the gamma radiation following the decay of excited states in the fission fragments was measured using 51 Gammasphere detectors coupled with 25 LaBr3:Ce detectors. A brief description of the acquisition system and some preliminary results from the fast-timing analysis of the fission fragment 100Zr are presented. The lifetime value of τ = 840(65) ps was found for the 2+ state in 100Zr consistent within one standard deviation of the adopted value with 791 +26 -35ps. This is associated with a quadrupole deformation parameter of 0.36(2) which is within one standard deviation of the literature value of 0.3556+82 -57.

Prompt fissionγ-ray characteristics from neutron-induced fission on 239Pu and the time-dependence of prompt-γray emission

Recent years have seen an increased interest in prompt fission γ-ray (PFG) measurements motivated by a high priority request of the OECD/NEA for high precision data, mainly for the nuclear fuel isotopes 235U and 239Pu. Our group has conducted a PFG measurement campaign using state-of-the-art lanthanum halide detectors for all the main actinides to a precision better than 3%. The experiments were performed in a coincidence setup between a fission trigger and γ-ray detectors. The time-of-flight technique was used to discriminate photons, traveling at the speed of light, and prompt fission neutrons. For a full rejection of all neutrons below 20 MeV, the PFG time window should not be wider than a few nanoseconds. This window includes most PFG, provided that no isomeric states were populated during the de-excitation process. When isomeric states are populated, PFGs can still be emitted up to 1 yus after the instant of fission or later. To study these γ-rays, the detector response to neutrons had to be determined and a correction had to be applied to the γ-ray spectra. The latest results for PFG characteristics from the reaction 239Pu(nth,f) will be presented, together with an analysis of PFGs emitted up to 200 ns after fission in the spontaneous fission of 252Cf as well as for thermal-neutron induced fission on 235U and 239Pu. The results are compared with calculations in the framework of the Hauser-Feshbach Monte Carlo code CGMF and FIFRELIN.

Study of parity-doublet structure in the 147La nucleus

The work reports several new excited states in the neutron-rich 147La nucleus, populated in spontaneous fission of 252Cf. The excitation scheme has been reinvestigated by means of γ-ray spectroscopy, using high-fold γ coincidences measured with the Gammasphere array of Ge detectors. It is shown that the 229.65-keV level has spin and parity 11/2-, which changes the 9/2- spin-parity reported in a recent evaluation and sets up the spinparity of the ground state as 5/2+. New levels allow to arrange the excitation scheme of 147La into a parity-doublet-like structure showing that the 147La nucleus may have an octupole deformation.

Prompt fission gamma-ray emission spectral data for 239Pu(n,f) using fast directional neutrons from the LICORNE neutron source

Prompt fission gamma-ray spectra (PFGS) have been measured for the 239Pu(n,f) reaction using fast neutrons at Ēn=1.81 MeV produced by the LICORNE directional neutron source. The setup makes use of LaBr3 scintillation detectors and PARIS phoswich detectors to measure the emitted prompt fission gamma rays (PFG). The mean multiplicity, average total energy release per fission and average energy of photons are extracted from the unfolded PFGS. These new measurements provide complementary information to other recent work on thermal neutron induced fission of 239Pu and spontaneous fission of 252Cf.

Regression analysis of coincidence measurements for determinating the neutron emission rate of &lt;sup&gt;252&lt;/sup&gt;Cf spontaneous fission

The &lt;sup&gt;252&lt;/sup&gt;Cf isotope sources have a recommended standard neutron spectrum of spontaneous fission, and have been widely used in scientific researches, such as the detection efficiency calibration of neutron detectors, the characterization of neutron dose equivalent meters, the active analysis of special nuclear materials, etc. However, it is often necessary to correct the neutron emission rate due to its short half-life of 2.645 years. As the source age increases the contributions from &lt;sup&gt;250&lt;/sup&gt;Cf and &lt;sup&gt;248&lt;/sup&gt;Cm spontaneous fission become more significant, thus the neutron emission rate cannot be calculated simply according to the &lt;sup&gt;252&lt;/sup&gt;Cf decay law. In addition, the indirect measurement method by manganese bath activation needs a long period more than 8 hours; and it will have a large uncertainty while the source strength is lower than 10&lt;sup&gt;4&lt;/sup&gt; n/s. In order to develop a more portable measurement method for larger suitable dynamic range, the comprehensive algorithms based on the neutron multiplicity counting are studied in this paper. On the basis of the measurement equations under the point model assumption, the neutron coincidence counting rate is correlated with the total neutron counting rate, and then the regression analyses with different coincidence gates and different source locations in the counter are performed. On the assumption that the average neutron die-away time is constant in the sensitive range of detection system, therefore the characteristic coefficient from the changing process can be extracted, and two kinds of methods of measuring the neutron strength are established, which are independent of the efficiency variation. The verification experiments are carried out by the JCC-51 neutron coincidence counter. It is shown that the values measured by the two regression methods are consistent with the corrected results of the nominal value within 2% deviation. Furthermore, the detection efficiency is inversed by dividing the total neutron counting rate with the neutron emission rate when the source is placed at the central axis, which accords with the result of Monte Carlo simulation by using the MCNPX code well. It can provide an accurate method of determining the neutron emission rate of &lt;sup&gt;252&lt;/sup&gt;Cf spontaneous fission, and also an approach to calibrating the detection efficiency of neutron coincidence counter while the source strength is unknown.

Investigation of the heavy nuclei fission with anomalously high values of the fission fragments total kinetic energy

Binary fission of 232Th and 238U induced by fast neutrons were under intent investigation in the IPPE during recent years. These measurements were performed with a twin ionization chamber with Frisch grids. Signals from the detector were digitized for further processing with a specially developed software. It results in information of kinetic energies, masses, directions and Bragg curves of registered fission fragments. Total statistics of a few million fission events were collected during each experiment. It was discovered that for several combinations of fission fragment masses their total kinetic energy was very close to total free energy of the fissioning system. The probability of such fission events for the fast neutron induced fission was found to be much higher than for spontaneous fission of 252Cf and thermal neutron induced fission of 235U. For experiments with 238U target the energy of incident neutrons were 5 MeV and 6.5 MeV. Close analysis of dependence of fission fragment distribution on compound nucleus excitation energy gave us some explanation of the phenomenon. It could be a process in highly excited compound nucleus which leads the fissioning system from the scission point into the fusion valley with high probability.

Investigation into a suitable scintillator and coded-aperture material for a mixed-field radiation imaging system

Monte-Carlo modelling (MCNPX) methods have been employed to conduct an investigation into a suitable scintillator and coded-aperture material for a scintillator based mixed-field radiation imaging system. Single stilbene crystal, pure and 6Li-loaded plastic scintillators were simulated and their neutron/gamma detection performance compared when exposed to the spontaneous fission spectrum produced by 252Cf. The most suitable candidate was then incorporated into a scintillator based mixed-field coded-aperture imaging system. Coded-aperture models made of three W and 113Cd compositions were tested in different neutron/gamma environments with a square W collimator modelled around the aperture. Each simulation involved recording the interactions of neutron events in organic solid scintillator, whose neutron/gamma detection performance was assessed prior to the coded-aperture material investigation. Three coded-aperture material compositions have been tested with the simulated 252Cf spontaneous fission as well as 241AmBe neutron sources. Results generally claim very good detection sensitivity and spatial resolution for the radioactive sources located in the centre of the aperture.

New levels and reinvestigation of octupole correlations in 146,147La

High spin states of neutron-rich 146,147La have been reinvestigated by $\gamma$ - $\gamma$ - $ \gamma$ and $\gamma$ - $\gamma$ - $\gamma$ - $\gamma$ coincidence data from a 252Cf spontaneous fission experiment by using Gammasphere. Thirty-two new transitions in 146La are observed. Two new bands in 146La have been established. One of them is proposed to be the octupole parity partner of the previously known band. Twenty new transitions in 147La are observed. The ground state band of 147La has been established with a proposed $ 5/2^+$ band-head. Angular correlation of cascades has been used to study the spins and parities of the states. The B(E1)/B(E2) ratios and dipole moments of bands in 146, 147La have been measured.

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.