On Ternary Fission Induced by Neutrons

Experiments on measuring the rotational effect of the ²³⁴U fissile nucleus at the scission point showed that the fissile nucleus rotates as a right screw with respect to the longitudinally polarized neutron beam direction in the ternary fission of the ²³³U target nucleus induced by polarized s-neutrons; in the binary fission of the same nuclei it rotates in the opposite direction. Moreover, it was found that ternary fission “prefers” the spin state of J = I +1/2. This phenomenon cannot be explained within the existing concepts of ternary fission as one of the two “final” states after neck rupture. The same “parent” ²³⁴U nucleus cannot rotate in opposite directions in the two different final states. It should be assumed that ternary fission is a special branch of descent from the saddle point to the point of neck rupture. It can also be assumed that this branch is formed at the saddle point in a configuration favorable for cluster formation. Why does it prefer the spin state of J = I + 1/2? This is an interesting question for further studies.

     

Model Calculation of n+6Li Reactions Below 20 MeV

Based on the unified Hauser-Feshbach and exciton model for light nuclei, the calculations of reaction cross sections and the double-differential cross sections for n+⁶Li are performed. Since all of the first-particle emissions are from the compound nucleus to the discrete levels, the angular momentum coupling effect in pre-equilibrium mechanism must be taken into account. The fitting of the measured data indicates that the three-body break-up process needs to be involved, and the pre-equilibrium reaction mechanism dominates the reaction processes. In light nucleus reactions the recoil effect must be taken into account.     

Analysis of Neutron Double-Differential Cross Section of n＋^14N at 14.2 MeV

Abstract By using a new reaction model for light nuclei, the double-differential cross section of n ^14N reactions at En=14.2 MeV has been analyzed. In the case of n ^14N reactions, the reaction mechanism is very complex, there are over one hundred opened partial reaction channels even at incident energy En=14.2 MeV. In this paper the opened reaction channels are listed in detail. With LUNF code the model calculation is performed to analyze the doubledifferential cross sections of total outgoing neutron. The calculated results agree fairly with the experimental data. The results indicate that the pre-equilibrium mechanism dominates the whole reaction processes, and the recoil egect in light nuclear reactions is essentially important. 5He emission has been considered, but it is only a small contribution to thedouble-differential cross section at incident energy En=14.2 MeV.     

Further Analysis of Neutron Double-Differential Cross Section of n ＋ ^16O at 14.1 MeV and 18 MeV

By using a new reaction model for light nuclei, the double-differential cross section of total outgoing neutron with LUNF code for n＋^16O reactions at En=14.1 MeV and 18 MeV have been calculated and analyzed. In this paper the opened reaction channels, which have contribution to emitting the neutrons, are listed in detail. To improve the fitting results the direct inelastic scattering mechanism is involved. The calculating results agree fairly well with the experimental data at E,~ = 14.1 MeV and the deviation from calculated results and experimental data in low energy region at En= 18 MeV has been analyzed. Since the possibility of 5He has been affirmed theoretically [J.S. Zhang, Sci. Chin. G 47 （2004） 137], so 5He emission from n＋ ^16O reaction is taken into account, which plays an important role at the region of the outgoing neutron energy εn〈3 MeV in total outgoing neutron energy-angular spectrum. The calculated results indicate that the pre-equilibrium mechanism dominates the whole reaction processes, and the recoil effect in light nuclear reactions is essentially important.     

曲率能对热力学驱动力的影响

为了研究曲率能对核裂变热力学驱动力（TDF）的影响,首先利用包含曲率能的截断版小液滴模型计算了200Pb和224Th的位垒和熵垒,对比液滴模型的计算结果表明:曲率能未改变224Th的位垒鞍点,却将200Pb的位垒鞍点向后推移。能级密度参数的形变关系越强则两系统的熵垒鞍点越靠近基态。为了进一步探究曲率能如何通过位势和熵势影响TDF,以断前中子多重性（PNM）为探针,通过两种方案进行了模拟,结果表明:曲率能降低了两系统的位势驱动力,而增强了其熵势驱动力。结合PNM的计算表明,前一种效应要比后一种效应明显,因此曲率能总体减弱了200Pb和224Th的TDF,进而延缓了两系统的核裂变进程。In order to study the effect of curvature energy on the thermodynamic driving force (TDF) of nuclear fission, the potential and entropy barrier of 200Pb and 224Th systems are calculated by using the truncated droplet model including curvature energy, respectively. Compared with the liquid drop model, the results show that curvature energy does not affect the saddle point of 224Th, but pushes the saddle point of 200Pb backwards the ground state. The stronger the deformation dependence of the level density parameter is, the closer the saddle point of entropy barrier for these systems is to the ground state. In order to further investigate how curvature energy affects TDF through nuclear potential and entropy, respectively, the prescission neutron multiplicity (PNM) is selected as the probe, some simulations based on two schemes are carried out. The results show that curvature energy reduces the potential driving force of 200Pb and 224Th, and enhances the entropy potential driving force. Combined with the calculations and analyses of PNM, the former effect is more obvious than the latter, so curvature energy weakens TDF of two systems on whole, thus delaying the nuclear fission process of two systems.     

Quantum and thermodynamic properties of spontaneous and low-energy induced fission of nuclei

It is shown that A. Bohr’s concept of transition fission states can be matched with the properties of Coriolis interaction if an axisymmetric fissile nucleus near the scission point remains cold despite a nonadiabatic character of nuclear collective deformation motion. The quantum and thermodynamic properties of various stages of binary and ternary fission after the descent of a fissile nucleus fromt he outer saddle point are studied within quantum-mechanical fission theory. It is shown that two-particle nucleon-nucleon correlations—in particular, superfluid correlations— play an important role in the formation of fission products and in the classification of fission transitions. The distributions of thermalized primary fission fragments with respect to spins and their projections onto the symmetry axis of the fissile nucleus and fission fragments are constructed, these distributions determining the properties of prompt neutrons and gamma rays emitted by these fragments. A new nonevaporation mechanism of third-particle production in ternary fission is proposed. This mechanism involves transitions of third particles from the cluster states of the fissile-nucleus neck to high-energy states under effects of the shake-off type that are due to the nonadiabatic character of nuclear collective deformation motion.     

Theoretical Model Calculation for d+8Li Reaction

Based on the theoretical models for light nuclei, the calculations of reaction cross sections and the angular distributions for d+⁸Li reaction are performed. Since all of the particle emissions are from the compound nucleus to the discrete levels, the angular momentum coupling effect in pre-equilibrium mechanism is taken into account. The three-body break-up process and the recoil effect are involved. The theoretical calculated results are compared to existing experimental data.     

Nonuniform character of the population of spin projections K for a fissile nucleus at the scission point and anisotropies in the angular distributions of fragments originating from the induced fission of nuclei

It is shown that the emergence of anisotropies in the angular distributions of fragments originating from the spontaneous and induced fission of oriented actinide nuclei is possible only if nonuniformities in the population of the projectionsM (K) of the fissile-nucleus spin onto the z axis of the laboratory frame (fissile-nucleus symmetry axis) appear simultaneously in the vicinity of the scission point but not in the vicinity of the outer saddle point of the deformation potential. The possibilities for creating the orientation of fissile nuclei for spontaneous and induced fission and the effect of these orientations on the anisotropies under analysis are considered. The role of Coriolis interaction as a unique source of the mixing of different-K fissile-nucleus states at all stages of the fission process is studied with allowance for the dynamical enhancement of this interaction for excited thermalized states of the nucleus involved that is characterized by a high energy density. It is shown that the absence of thermalization of excited states of the fissile nucleus that appear because of the effect of nonadiabaticity of its collective deformation motion in the vicinity of the scission point is a condition of conservation of the influence that transition fission states formed at the inner and outer fission barriers exerts on the distribution of the spin projections K for lowenergy spontaneous nuclear fission. It is confirmed that anisotropies observed in the angular distributions of fragments originating from the fission of nuclei that is induced by fast light particles (multiply charged ions) are due to the appearance of strongly excited equilibrium(nonequilibrium) states of the fissile nucleus in the vicinity of its scission point that have a Gibbs (non-Gibbs) distribution of projections K.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">P</Emphasis>-even correlations in binary and ternary nuclear fission induced by polarized neutrons

The evolution of a fissile nucleus from transition fission states specified at the saddle point of the deformation potential to fission states associated with prescission configurations of this nucleus and characterized by a pearlike shape of the nucleus is studied within the quantum-mechanical theory of fission processes that is based on the time-independent formalism. The coefficients of P-even asymmetries in the angular distributions of a light fragment and a third particle are calculated on the basis of the idea of the one-step mechanism of the production of a third particle and two fragments from the ternary fission of nuclei that is induced by polarized thermal neutrons. In order to confirm the developed concepts, it is proposed to repeat, at a higher level of statistical accuracy, experiments devoted to observing left-right asymmetries in the angular distributions of alpha particles from the ternary fission of nuclei.     

Angular distributions of fragments originating from the spontaneous fission of oriented nuclei and problem of the conservation of the spin projection onto the symmetry axis of a fissile nucleus

The concept of transition fission states, which was successfully used to describe the angular distributions of fragments for the spontaneous and low-energy induced fission of axisymmetric nuclei, proves to be correct if the spin projection onto the symmetry axis of a fissile nucleus is an integral of the motion for the external region from the descent of the fissile nucleus from the external fission barrier to the scission point. Upon heating a fissile nucleus in this region to temperatures of T ≈ 1 MeV (this is predicted by many theoretical models of the fission process), the Coriolis interaction uniformly mixes the possible projections of the fissile-nucleus spin for the case of low spin values, this leading to the loss of memory about transition fission states in the asymptotic region where the angular distributions of fragments are formed. Within quantum-mechanical fission theory, which takes into account deviations from A. Bohr’s formula, the angular distributions of fragments are calculated for spontaneously fissile nuclei aligned by an external magnetic field at ultralow temperatures, and it is shown that an analysis of experimental angular distributions of fragments would make it possible to solve the problem of spin-projection conservation for fissile nuclei in the external region.     

ENHANCED NEUTRON EM1SSION IN HEAVY ION REACTIONS BY DIFFUSION MODEL

An extensive Smoluchowski equation with neutron emission is suggested in this paper and is analytically solved by means of van Kampen technique.The average fission rate,fission probability,the ratio of neutron emission to fission are calculated for composite nucleus ²⁴⁰PU. The time evolution of these quantities is analysed and their essential dependence on fission potential height and nuclear temperature are discussed.A fair1y substantial particle evaporation prior to fission in heavy-ion reactions can be well understood in our diffusion model.     

Analysis of Neutron Double-Differential Cross Sections for n ＋ ^12 C Reaction Below 30 MeV

Based on the light nucleus reaction model （Nucl. Sci. Eng. 133 （1999） 218）, four aspects （neutron incident energy region, reaction channel analysis, the renewed level schemes and the optical model parameters） of n＋ ^12 C reaction are improved to calculate total outgoing neutron double-dilferential cross sections with modified LUNF code below 30 MeV. The calculated results agree fairly well with the experimental data at En = 14.1 MeV and 18 MeV. The analysis shows that the pre-equilibrium mechanism, which is exactly considered the conservation of energy, momentum and parity, dominates the whole reaction process. The contribution of the neutron emission from 5He to total energy- angular spectra is also considered properly. This modified LUNF code will be a useful tool to set up the file of neutron double-differential crass sections below 30 Me V in the neutron evaluation nuclear data library.     

Recent studies in heavy ion induced fission reactions

Nuclear fission process involves large scale shape changes of the nucleus, while it evolves from a nearly spherical configuration to two separated fission fragments. The dynamics of these shape changes in the nuclear many body system is governed by a strong interplay of the collective and single particle degrees of freedom. With the availability of heavy ion accelerators, there has been an impetus to study the nuclear dynamics through the investigations of nucleus-nucleus collisions involving fusion and fission process. From the various investigations carried out in the past years, it is now well recognized that there is large scale damping of collective modes in heavy ion induced fission reactions, which in other words implies that nuclear motion is highly viscous. In recent years, there have been many experimental observations in heavy ion induced fission reactions at medium bombarding energies, which suggest possible occurrence of various non-equilibrium modes of fission such as quasi-fission, fast fission and pre-equilibrium fission, where some of the internal degrees of freedom of the nucleus is not fully equilibrated. We have carried out extensive investigations on the fission fragment angular distributions at near barrier bombarding energies using heavy fissile targets. The measured fragment anisotropies when compared with the standard saddle point model (SSPM) calculations show that for projectile-target systems having zero or low ground state spins, the angular anisotropy exhibits a peak-like behaviour at the sub barrier energies, which cannot be explained by the SSPM calculations. For projectiles or targets with large ground state spins, the anomalous peaking gets washed out due to smearing of the K-distribution by the intrinsic entrance channel spins. Recently studies have been carried out on the spin distributions of fission fragments through the gamma ray multiplicity measurements. The fission fragments acquire spin mainly from two sources: (i) due to rigid rotation of the nascent fragments at scission and (ii) due to statistical excitation of the spin bearing collective modes in the fissioning nucleus. One of the collective modes — the tilting mode depends on the K quantum number and is responsible for the emission angle dependence of fragment spin. In our studies, we have shown conclusively that the collective statistical spin modes get strongly suppressed for high K values corresponding to large rotational frequencies along the fission axis. These results bring out the importance of the dynamical effects in the heavy ion induced fusion-fission reactions. The present article will review the work carried out on the above aspects in heavy ion fission reactions as well as on the fission time scales, and some of the recent studies on the mass-energy correlations of fission fragments at near-barrier bombarding energies.     

Investigation of the reaction 208Pb(18O, f): Fragment spins and phenomenological analysis of the angular anisotropy of fission fragments

The average multiplicity of gamma rays emitted by fragments originating from the fission of ²²⁶Th nuclei formed via a complete fusion of ¹⁸O and ²⁰⁸Pb nuclei at laboratory energies of ¹⁸O projectile ions in the range E _lab = 78–198.5 MeV is measured and analyzed. The total spins of fission fragments are found and used in an empirical analysis of the energy dependence of the anisotropy of these fragments under the assumption that their angular distributions are formed in the vicinity of the scission point. The average temperature of compound nuclei at the scission point and their average angular momenta in the entrance channel are found for this analysis. Also, the moments of inertia are calculated for this purpose for the chain of fissile thorium nuclei at the scission point. All of these parameters are determined at the scission point by means of three-dimensional dynamical calculations based on Langevin equations. A strong alignment of fragment spins is assumed in analyzing the anisotropy in question. In that case, the energy dependence of the anisotropy of fission fragments is faithfully reproduced at energies in excess of the Coulomb barrier (E _c.m. ? E _B ≥ 30 MeV). It is assumed that, as the excitation energy and the angular momentum of a fissile nucleus are increased, the region where the angular distributions of fragments are formed is gradually shifted from the region of nuclear deformations in the vicinity of the saddle point to the region of nuclear deformations in the vicinity of the scission point, the total angular momentum of the nucleus undergoing fission being split into the orbital component, which is responsible for the anisotropy of fragments, and the spin component. This conclusion can be qualitatively explained on the basis of linear-response theory.     

Thermal Fission Rate Calculated Numerically by Particles Multi-passing over Saddle Point

Langevin simulation of the particles multi-passing over the saddle point is proposed to calculate thermal fission rate. Due to finite friction and the corresponding thermal fluctuation, a backstreaming exists in the process of the particle descent from the saddle to the scission. This leads to that the diffusion behind the saddle point has influence upon the stationary flow across the saddle point. A dynamical correction factor, as a ratio of the flows of multi- and first-overpassing the saddle point, is evaluated analytically. The results show that the fission rate calculated by the particles multi-passing over the saddle point is lower than the one calculated by the particle firstly passing over the saddle point, and the former approaches the results at the scission point.     

近垒及垒下能区28Si+174Yb体系的裂变碎片质量分布

使用两块大面积平行板雪崩计数器,测量了近垒及垒下28Si+174Yb熔合裂变碎片质量-角度关联分布及质量分布。质量-角度二维图显示在该反应能量区间内并没有发现明显的准裂变成分。运用单高斯曲线拟合了裂变碎片的质量分布并抽取了质量宽度。结果表明:在库仑势垒以上,质量宽度随着反应能量的升高而增大;在库仑势垒以下能区,发现质量宽度随着反应能量的降低而呈现轻微增大的趋势。运用鞍点统计模型对本次实验数据拟合发现,需用比文献给出的更大的刚度系数才能重现实验结果,其物理原因还需要进一步研究。In order to study the fission mechanism, the mass distributions and mass-angle distributions of the fission fragments for 28Si+174Yb were measured near the Coulomb barrier. The mass-angle correlations do not indicate any possible quasi-fission events in this bombarding energy range. The mass distributions were fitted by the single Gaussian distribution and then the mass widths were extracted. At above-barrier energies, the mass widths were found to increase with the energy. However, the mass widths show slight increase with decreasing energy below the barrier. Additionally, the mass widths can not be reproduced in the framework of the saddle statistic model with the given parameter, so further study is still needed.     

Rotational Property of~(249)Cm in Particle-Triaxial-Rotor Model

We study the rotational energy spectrum and deformation feature of very heavy nucleus 249Cm in the particle-triaxial-rotor model with variable moment of inertia.Such a nucleus is the unique one involving both multiband structure and high spin states and locating very near the superheavy region.By calculating the energy spectrum,we determine the configurations and quadrupole and triaxial deformation parameters β and γ of the nucleus.The calculated results indicate that the high spin band of 249Cm is built upon the ν[620] 12+configuration with deformation parameters β = 0.296 and γ = 7.5 and the bands based on the ν[622] 32+,ν[613] 72+,ν[750] 12 configuration respectively are also the ones with quite large axial deformation but small triaxial deformation.     

形变相关的壳修正对N=126处断前中子发射的同位素效应的影响

利用动力学加统计模型就形变相关的壳修正（DDSC）对中子126壳层附近209,213,217Fr断前中子发射的影响进行了研究。模拟结果表明,DDSC抬升了复合核的裂变位垒,且213Fr的升高约为209,217Fr的2倍,但却没有改变鞍点位置。尽管位垒升高延缓了系统的裂变,但其动力学过程受热力学驱动力（TDF）和核阻尼间竞争的主导,因此准确提取壳修正的作用还需考虑核耗散的形变关系。在裂变第一阶段,当核耗散取一体耗散（OBD）参数时,壳修正没有改变断前中子发射的同位素效应,然而当核耗散取标准参数设置（SPS）时,由于213Fr的TDF存在着异常增强,故该规律未能展现。在裂变第二阶段,位垒升高引起的断前中子发射的增强受到了TDF与核阻尼间竞争的反制,故断前中子发射的同位素效应仍未能显现。综合两阶段情况,DDSC对N=126处断前中子发射的同位素效应的影响受第一阶段规律的支配。The effect of deformation-dependent shell correction (DDSC) on the emission of prescission neutron (EPN) is studied within a dynamical and statistical model for three isotopes of 209,213,217Fr near the neutron 126 closure-shell. The results show that the fission barriers are enhanced with DDSC, and the increment of 213Fr is almost 2 times those of 209,217Fr, but those saddle points are not changed. Although the enhancement of fission barrier delays nuclear fission, the fission dynamics process is controlled by the competition between thermodynamic driving force (TDF) and nuclear damping, so the deformation-dependence of nuclear dissipation must be considered in order to extract the role of shell correction. The shell correction doesn't alter isotope effect of EPN with OBD nuclear dissipation in the first phase of nuclear fission, but the rule does not been exhibited because that there is abnormal enhancement of TDF using SPS nuclear dissipation. The increment of EPN caused by the rise of fission barrier is countered by the competition between TDF and nuclear damping in the second phase of nuclear fission, hence the effect of EPN cannot exhibit. The effect of DDSC on EPN near the neutron 126 closure-shell is dominated by the rules in the first phase of nuclear fission.     

Decay Analysis of Ge Isotopes Formed in Reactions Induced by Tightly and Loosely Bound Projectiles

The dynamical cluster-decay model (DCM) is employed to investigate the decay of ^68,70Ge^* compound nuclei formed respectively via tightly (⁴He) and loosely (⁶He) bound projectiles, using ⁶⁴Zn target. The study is carried out over a wide energy range (E_c.m.~5 MeV to 16 MeV) by including the quadrupole deformations (β2i) and optimum orientations (θ_i^opt) of the decaying fragments. The fusion cross-sections, obtained by adding various evaporation channels show nice agreement with the experimental data for ⁴He+⁶⁴Zn reaction. The contribution from competing compound inelastic scattering channel is also analyzed particularly for ⁶⁸Ge^* nucleus at above barrier energies. On the other hand, the decrement in the fusion cross-sections of ⁷⁰Ge^* nuclear system is addressed by presuming that ⁶⁵Zn ER is formed via two different modes:(i) the αn evaporation of ⁷⁰Ge^* nucleus, and (ii) 1n-evaporation of ⁶⁶Zn^* nuclear system, formed via breakup and 2n-transfer channels due to halo structure of the ⁶He projectile. Besides this, the suppression in 2np evaporation cross-sections suggests the contribution of another breakup and transfer process of ⁶He i.e. ⁴He+⁶⁴Zn. The contribution of breakup+transfer channels for ⁶He+⁶⁴Zn reaction is duly addressed by applying relevant energy corrections due to the breakup of " ⁶He" projectile into 2n and ⁴He. In addition to this, the barrier lowering, angular momentum and energy dependence effects are also explored in view of the dynamics of chosen reactions.