Triton emission in the interactions of fast neutrons with nuclei

Cross sections have been measured for the formation of tritium in the interactions with Li, Be, B, C, N, O, F, Ne, Na, Mg, Al, Si, P, S, Cl, Ar, Ca, V, Co, As, Y, La, Pr, Tb, Ho and Tl of fast neutrons produced via break-up of 53 MeV deuterons on a Be target (E_n = 11.5–43.5 MeV; I_max at 22.5 MeV; FWHM = 15.8 MeV). The activation technique in combination with vacuum extraction and low-level gas phase β^? counting of tritium was employed. Furthermore, cross sections were measured for isotopes of the elements Ne, Mg, Ar, Ca, Ti, Cr, Fe, Ni, Zn, Ge, Se, Zr, Mo, Pd, Te, Ba, Pr, Dy, W, Tl and Pb by γ-ray spectroscopic analysis of the radioactive reaction products. A comparison of the two sets of cross sections shows that for nuclei with A > 40 the emission of three single particles (lp2n) is much more probable than the emission of a bound tri-nucleon (³H). The cross-section data obtained via tritium counting show that the (n, t) cross sections for the lightest nuclei are exceptionally large, probably due to direct interactions, and the process competes with other modes of de-excitation; for elements with Z > 20, on the other hand, the cross section is low (< 0.25 % ofσ_n.e.) and practically constant, showing thereby that in the medium and heavy mass regions the probability of emission of a triton is relatively independent of the target nucleus. A comparison of the cross-section systematics at E_n = 14.6 MeV and for the neutron spectrum described above is presented; the trends are somewhat similar.     

Origins of the Neutrons Emission in the Reaction of 33.4MeV/u 17N on 9Be

In the reaction of 33.4MeV/u ¹⁷N on a target ⁹Be,the measured neutron spectra at different angles exhibit a complex pattern and vary regularly as a function of the detected angle. The detected neutrons probably come from the three origins:nucleon-nucleon collisions between the projectile and target,break-up of ¹⁷N and statistical evaporations from the hot nuclei. By analyzing the measured neutron angular distribution and calculating with QMD and GEMINI for the reaction concerned, 4.49,0.44 and 5.5barns were obtained for neutron emission cross sections due to the three origins mentioned above,respectively.     

中子与9Be和6,7Li反应的次级中子发射谱实验研究

测量了8.17MeV与10.27MeV中子与⁹Be和^6,7Li作用的次级中子双微分截面. 对于10.27MeV, 为了消除从D(d,np)破裂反应来的源破裂中子对双微分截面测量结果的影响, 采用了常规多探测器快中子飞行时间谱仪和非常规多探测器快中子飞行时间谱仪相结合的办法. 用Monte-Carlo方法对实验测量得到的飞行时间谱进行了详细的模拟, 通过测量谱与模拟谱的比较, 得到了实验测量的次级中子双微分截面. 实验测量结果以n-p(常规谱仪)和n-C(非常规谱仪)弹性散射微分截面作为归一. 测量结果与评价数据以及其他测量数据进行了比较. 用一个基于Hauser-Feshbach和激子模型的轻核核反应理论模型对^6,7Li的次级中子双微分截面进行了计算, 理论计算结果与实验结果符合得较好.     

Intermediate structure of the giant dipole resonance in 54Fe and 56Fe

The cross sections for the (γ, n) reaction on ⁵⁴Fe and ⁵⁶Fe for the high-energy component of the neutron spectrum have been investigated using a neutron spectrometer and a synchrotron with a photon energy range from 5 to 26.3 MeV. Neutron energy spectra have been measured. It is shown that the intermediate structure in the (γ, n) reaction cross section is due to high-energy neutrons and correlates with the structure in the neutron spectrum.     

Neutron-proton charge-exchange scattering from 8 to 29 GeV/c

The differential cross sections for neutron-proton charge-exchange scattering have been measured for incident neutron momenta between 8 and 29 GeV/c and for four-momentum transfers |t| between 0.002 and 1.0 (GeV/c)². A neutron beam with a broad momentum spectrum was scattered from a liquid hydrogen target. The momenta and scattering angles of the forward-scattered protons were measured by a spark-chamber magnet spectrometer. The flight times and scattering angles of the recoil neutrons were measured by a bank of thick scintillation counters. The efficiencies of the neutron counters were determined in a separate measurement. Absolute normalization of the data was obtained from a measurement of the diffraction dissociation of neutrons from carbon nuclei. Differential cross sections, based on ～ 23 000 events, are presented for 9 different momenta. The shape of the differential cross sections and the momentum dependence are examined in detail.     

(n, α) Reactions on light nuclei atE n =13.9 MeV

The reactions¹⁴N (n, α)¹¹B and¹⁰B(n, α)⁷Li were studied with 13.9 MeV neutrons using a counter telescope. Differential cross sections were measured for the transitions to the ground states and to some excited states. The results provide evidence for a strong contribution from a direct reaction mechanism. Systematics of integrated cross sections for the ground state transitions of all known (n, α) reactions on light nuclei with 14 MeV neutrons is also given.     

Investigation of fast neutron interaction with235U

The angular distribution of neutrons emitted by elastic, inelastic and fission processes on²³⁵U were measured at the incident neutron energies of 1.5, 1.9, 2.3, 4.0, 4.5, 5.0 and 5.5 MeV using nanosecond time-of-flight technique. The differential elastic scattering cross sections and their angular distributions at all the seven energies are presented. The total elastic scattering cross sections, angle and energy integrated cross sections for the inelastically scattered neutrons in energy bands of 200 keV, fission cross sections and the angular distributions of fission neutrons were extracted at 1.5, 1.9 and 2.3 MeV incident neutron energies. The energy distributions of the prompt fission neutrons and of the inelastically scattered neutrons are given at the incoming neutron energies of 1.5, 1.9 and 2.3 MeV; and the average fission neutron energies and the inelastic neutron evaporation temperatures were also evaluated at these energies.     

Does break-up affect 9Be +209Bi fusion at the barrier?

The ⁹Be +²⁰⁹Bi fusion cross sections were measured in the 36.0 MeV ≤ E_lab≤ 50.0 MeV range, down to 0.6 mb, with high accuracy via in-beam detection of the ground state α-decay of the evaporation residues produced. The elastic scattering cross sections around 150° and 135° were also obtained with moderate angular resolution. The cross sections below the barrier are reproduced by coupled channel calculations which include only one break-up channel with a moderate strength and a phenomenological renormalization of the potential depth. These simple calculations overestimate the cross sections above the barrier most likely due to the fact that the ⁹Be break-up process becomes much stronger. The barrier distributions extracted do not have evident break-up signature since they show one-barrier structure. Received: 22 February 1999 / Revised version: 26 March 1999     

Investigation of giant-dipole-resonance decay in the (<Emphasis Type="Italic">γ, n</Emphasis>) reactions on <Superscript>52</Superscript>Cr and <Superscript>51</Superscript>V nuclei

The cross sections for the emission of fast neutrons (? _n > 3.7 MeV) in the reactions ⁵²Cr(γ, n)⁵¹Cr and ⁵¹V(γ, n)⁵⁰V at incident-photon energies in the range between 16.0 and 25.8 MeV were studied. The neutron energy spectra were measured at the bremsstrahlung-photon endpoint energies of 18.5, 21.0, and 23.0 MeV for the ⁵²Cr and ⁵¹V nuclei and at the bremsstrahlung-photon energy of 25.5 MeV for the ⁵¹V nucleus. Special features of giant-dipole-resonance decay that are associated with the existence of a structure in photoneutron cross sections and spectra are discussed.     

Measurement of (p,n) and (n,p) reactions on 6Li and 7Li at 800 MeV

The measured ⁷Li(p,n), and ⁶Li(n,p) cross sections at 0° show a high-energy peak (≈25 MeV/c FWHM) which we attribute primarily to nuclear charge exchange leading to final states in ⁷Be, ⁶Be, and ⁶He, respectively. By contrast, the ⁷Li(n,p) cross section at O° shows a broad weak high-energy peak believed due mostly to break-up processes. At 16°, the ^6,7Li(n,p) cross sections are dominated by quasi-elastic scattering.     

Untersuchung des Niveauschemas von Nb93 durch Messung der Gammastrahlung nach der inelastischen Streuung schneller Neutronen

Fast neutrons from a nanosecond-pulsedD(d, n)He³ neutron source were scattered from Nb⁹³. The gamma spectrum arising from inelastic scattering was measured in a high resolution Ge(Li)-spectrometer. In order to obtain low background a time gate technique was used. About 44 gamma lines could be found between 150 keV and 2.2 MeV in the single spectrum. In addition gamma-gamma-coincidences were investigated with a NaJ- and a Ge(Li)-detector. By these means it was possible to identify almost all gamma transitions and to receive a nearly complete level scheme of Nb⁹³ up to 2.2 MeV. The experimental cross sections for the population of the levels by the (n, n′)-reaction were compared with the results of the Hauser-Feshbach theory using the optical model transmission coefficients of Lindner and Meldner. From this and from the observed gamma transitions proposals for spin- and parity-assignments of the energy levels are given.     

Neutron periphery in light nuclei

A spatial configuration of light nuclei that involves two excess neutrons (⁶He, ¹⁰Be, and ¹²B) is studied by analyzing cross sections for various reactions on these nuclei: ⁶He(α, α)⁶He, ⁹Be(d, p)¹⁰Be, and ¹⁰B(t, p)¹²B. Pole dineutron-transfer mechanisms (dineutron configuration of the neutron periphery) and second-order mechanisms involving sequential neutron transfer (cigar-like configuration of the neutron periphery) are taken into account in the calculations. It is shown that the neutron periphery is drastically different in the nuclei in question: in ⁶He, there is a halo receiving a contribution from both configurations; in ¹⁰Be, there is an only slightly noticeable halo featuring a contribution of practically one neutron from the cigar-like configuration; and, in ¹²B, there is a neutron skin.     

Neutron scattering from 208Pb

Elastic scattering of 7, 9, 11, 20 and 26 MeV neutrons from ²⁰⁸Pb has been measured with the Ohio University Tandem Van de Graaff accelerator. Standard pulsed beam time-of-flight techniques were employed. Measurements of the incident flux at 0° were used to normalize the differential cross sections. The measured cross sections were corrected for dead time, detector efficiency, flux attenuation, multiple scattering, finite geometry, neutron source anisotropy and compound elastic contribution. Relative uncertainties are estimated to be between 5%–10% and the uncertainty in the normalization is estimated to be less than 5 %. The data were used to obtain neutron optical potential parameters. A comparison with proton optical parameters is presented, and the (p, n) quasi-elastic cross section is calculated and compared with available data. Deformation parameters for the 3^? state (Q = ?2.615 MeV) and 5ā (Q = ?3.198 MeV) in ²⁰⁸Pb were obtained at incident energies of 11 and 26 MeV.     

Time features of delayed neutrons and partial emissive-fission cross sections for the neutron-induced fission of 232Th nuclei in the energy range 3.2–17.9 MeV

The energy dependence of the relative abundances of delayed neutrons and the energy dependence of the half-lives of their precursors in the neutron-induced fission of ²³²Th nuclei in the energy range 3.2–17.9 MeV were measured for the first time. A systematics of the time features of delayed neutrons is developed. This systematics makes it possible to estimate the half-life of delayed-neutron precursors as a function of the nucleonic composition of fissile nuclei by using a single parameter set for all nuclides. The energy dependence of the partial cross sections for emissive fission in the reaction ²³²Th(n, f) was analyzed on the basis of data obtained for the relative abundances of delayed neutrons and the aforementioned half-lives and on the basis of the created systematics of the time features of delayed neutrons. It was shown experimentally for the first time that the decrease in the cross section after the reaction threshold in the fission of ²³²Th nuclei (it has a pronounced first-chance plateau) is not an exclusion among the already studied uranium, plutonium, and curium isotopes and complies with theoretical predictions obtained for the respective nuclei with allowance for shell, superfluid, and collective effects in the nuclear-level density and with allowance for preequilibrium neutron emission     

A systematic study of (n,d), (n,n' p) and (n,pn) reactions at 14.7 MeV

Cross sections for [(n, d) + (n, n′p) + (n, pn)] reactions induced by 14.7 ± 0.3 MeV neutrons on ⁴⁴Ca, ⁴⁹Ti, ⁵⁰Cr, ^{67, 68}Zn, ⁹²Zr and ^{97, 98}Mo have been measured by the activation technique using enriched isotopes as target materials, modern radiochemical separations and high-resolution counting methods. A brief summary of the literature data and our own earlier measurements is given. Our activation data are generally in agreement with those deduced from emitted charged particle characterisation. Some systematic trends in the activation cross-section data were analysed. Similar to other (n, charged particle) reactions, the [(n, d) + (n, n′p) + (n, pn)] reaction cross section decreases as a function of (N?Z)/A; the data, however, fall on two curves, one for nuclei with neutron separation energies (S_n higher than the proton separation energies (S_p) and the other for nuclei with S_n < S_p. For nuclei with S_n ? S_p the (n, n′p) process is very important. Detailed Hauser-Feshbach calculations show that in general contributions of statistical processes to the (n, d) reaction cross section are very small.     

Measurements of elastic scattering for 7Be, 7Li + 9Be systems and fusion cross sections for 7Li + 9Be system

Elastic scattering angular distributions have been measured for ⁷Be + ⁹Be system at E_lab = 17, 19 and 21 MeV in the angular range θ_cm=26^○–58°, and for ⁷Li + ⁹Be system at E_lab= 15.75, 24 and 30 MeV. An optical model (OM) analysis of these data have been carried out. For the ⁷Li + ⁹Be system fusion cross sections were obtained at E_lab = 15.75, 24 and 30 MeV by measuring the α-evaporation spectra from the compound nucleus at backward angles. The measured α-evaporation spectra were reproduced by the statistical model calculations and fusion cross sections were extracted therefrom. The ratios of the experimental fusion cross sections to the total reaction cross sections (obtained form OM analysis) were found to be rather small. This result suggests that break-up process has a strong influence on fusion process leading to a reduction in fusion cross section.     

Core-breakup reactions of the halo nuclei 11Be and 11Li: momentum distributions and shadow effects

The halo nuclei ¹¹Be and ¹¹Li have been studied in core-breakup reactions where the halo neutrons are expected to be released without a major distortion due to the reaction. The widths of the halo-neutron momentum distributions have been extracted in coincidence with He fragments, Γ = 32 ± 4 MeV/c, and Li fragments, Γ = 42 ± 4 MeV/c for ¹¹Be and with He fragments, Γ = 42 ± 6 MeV/c for ¹¹Li. The ¹¹Be breakup gives a very low neutron multiplicity of 0.38±0.09 which is a manifestation of the shadowing of the neutron in the core-breakup reaction. This value can be understood from a simple theoretical calculation, which also accounts for the observed transverse momentum widths at small angles.     

Identification of gamma transitions from He and Be ternary fission fragments

He and Be ternary fission processes of ²⁵²Cf have been studied in two experiments with the Gammasphere detector array with light charged particle detectors surrounding the source. From α-γ double gated spectra, neutron multiplicity distributions were determined for related α ternary fission pairs. In going from binary to α ternary SF for approximately the same mass splittings (A ≈ 104–146) the average neutron multiplicity decreases about 0.7 AMU. In the first light charged particle (LCP) γ-γ experiment, the ¹⁰Be spectrum was cutoff below 27 MeV and in the recent experiment, below 18 MeV. For high energy (E > 27 MeV) ¹⁰Be ternary fission, the data indicate that the largest yields go via the cold process (zero neutron evaporation). In the recent experiment with E cutoff of 18 MeV, the ¹⁰Be ternary SF was observed for zero to 4n emissions. It seems that in some cases like ¹³⁶Te, the On channel is the strongest and in the other cases like ¹⁰⁰Zr the 1n or 2n channel dominates. Clearly, there is a shift to lower average number of neutrons emitted for ¹⁰Be compared to α ternary SF. The ¹⁰⁴Zr and ¹³⁶Te cases where zero neutron emission occurs may be related to the fact that these nuclei are near the limits of the more neutron rich Zr and Te nuclei observed. The ¹³⁶Te is more spherical than the heavy partners in the other pairs and this may influence the 0n channel. Finally, the 0n channel may be more enhanced in the first data with the higher ¹⁰Be energy cutoff, leading to lower excitation energy. Also, we confirmed the 3368 keV peak with the FWHM of 60 keV emitted from the moving Be particles in the Doppler effect corrected spectrum.     

Cross sections for 197Au(n, γ)198Au and 115In(n, γ)116mIn in the neutron energy region 2.0–7.7 MeV

The cross sections for the reactions ¹⁹⁷Au(n, γ)¹⁹⁸Au and ¹¹⁵In(n, γ)^116mIn have been measured with the activation method in the neutron energy region 2.0–7.7 MeV. The influence of background neutrons on the results was studied in considerable detail. The main problems are caused by low-energy neutrons produced by charged-particle reactions in the target material and secondary neutrons from nonelastic reactions in the sample and surrounding materials.The measured capture cross sections are generally lower than previous results and the deviation tends to increase with increasing neutron energy. The data are also compared with calculations based on the compound-nucleus model and quite good agreement is obtained.     

Giant resonance in the total photoabsorption cross section of Z ≈ 90 nuclei

Total photoabsorption cross sections of ²³²Th, ²³⁵U, ²³⁸U and ²³⁹Pu have been measured in the giant resonance region by the absorption method. Measured cross sections were approximated by two Lorentz lines. Lorentz line parameters, integrated cross sections, deformation parameters and quadrupole moments are given. The analysis of the nuclear optical anisotropy evolution with the increase of Z shows that Z ≈ 90 nuclei seem to be transitional, similar to N ≈ 90 nuclei. A comparison of experimental cross sections with dynamic collective model calculations has been performed. The evidence that quadrupole photoabsorption occurs in the 20–25 MeV energy region is also presented.