Rare decay modes of fission fragments

The experimental data on rare modes of radioactive decay of fission fragments is reviewed. These decay modes are due to a large excess of neutrons and a high energy of β decay fragments. They appear in delayed emission of various particles after the β decay (several neutrons, α particles, or heavy clusters) and excitation of unusual states (giant multipole resonances and shape isomers). The β decay and internal conversion of γ radiation into bound states of the atomic electron shell and their influence on the probability of secondary particle emission are considered. The possibility is discussed of observing decays that have not yet been experimentally detected, but theoretically predicted, as well as information on the nuclear structure obtained by studying such decay modes.     

Effect of beta decay to bound states in ionized atoms on the fraction of delayed neutrons

The ionization of an atom leads to the appearance of an additional beta-decay channel to a bound state of an electron. It is shown that, for nuclei that are products of uranium fission and which are emitters of delayed neutrons, the fraction of delayed neutrons increases upon taking into account the additional beta-decay channel to bound states.     

Fission decay properties of ultra neutron-rich uranium isotopes

The fission decay of highly neutron-rich uranium isotopes is investigated which shows interesting new features in the barrier properties and neutron emission characteristics in the fission process. ²³³U and ²³⁵U are the nuclei in the actinide region in the beta stability valley which are thermally fissile and have been mainly used in reactors for power generation. The possibility of occurrence of thermally fissile members in the chain of neutron-rich uranium isotopes is examined here. The neutron number N = 162 or 164 has been predicted to be magic in numerous theoretical studies carried out over the years. The series of uranium isotopes around it with N = 154–172 are identified to be thermally fissile on the basis of the fission barrier and neutron separation energy systematics; a manifestation of the close shell nature of N = 162 (or 164). We consider here the thermal neutron fission of a typical representative ²⁴⁹U nucleus in the highly neutron-rich region. Semiempirical study of fission barrier height and width shows that ²⁵⁰U nucleus is stable against spontaneous fission due to increase in barrier width arising out of excess neutrons. On the basis of the calculation of the probability of fragment mass yields and the microscopic study in relativistic mean field theory, this nucleus is shown to undergo exotic decay mode of thermal neutron fission (multi-fragmentation fission) whereby a number of prompt scission neutrons are expected to be simultaneously released along with the two heavy fission fragments. Such properties will have important implications in stellar evolution involving r-process nucleosynthesis.      

Decisive role of wriggling vibrations in the formation of angular and spin distributions of products originating from binary and ternary fission of oriented nuclei

It is shown that the multiplicities and angular and energy distributions of neutrons and photons evaporated from thermalized fragments originating from the spontaneous and low-energy induced fission of nuclei, the relative yields of ground and isomeric states of final fragments, and the features of delayed neutrons emitted upon the beta decay of the above fragments can successfully be described by employing nonequilibrium distributions of spins and relative orbital angular momenta of fission fragments formed in the vicinity of the scission point for the fissile nucleus being studied. It is also shown that these distributions, which are characterized by large mean values of the spins and orbital angular momenta directed orthogonally to the symmetry axis of the fissioning nucleus are successfully constructed upon simultaneously taking into account zero-mode transverse wriggling and bending vibrations of a fissile compound nucleus in the vicinity of its scission point, the wriggling vibrations being dominant. It is confirmed that the zero-mode wriggling vibrations considered immediately above are directly involved in the formation of the angular distributions of fragments originating from the spontaneous and low-energy fission of nuclei. This makes it possible to describe successfully such distributions for photofission fragments.     

Consideration of the theoretical possibility of regulating the nuclear reactor by changing a fraction of delayed neutrons

A lot of theoretical and experimental studies devoted to the effect of external electromagnetic fields and ionization on the beta-decay probability have been published in the past years. The possibility of using this physical effect as the main reactor-regulation mechanism is investigated in this study. A set of equations allowing the operation of a nuclear reactor to be described when the probability for the beta decay of precursors of delayed neutrons and, hence, the fraction of delayed neutrons are functions of time is written and investigated. It is shown that, if the fraction of the delayed neutrons does not change, the proposed set of equations coincides with the generally known one. As follows from the analysis of the solutions to the new set of equations, the proposed reactor-regulation method does not allow reactor runaway driven by prompt neutrons even theoretically. The application of the proposed control method to a circulating-fuel liquid-type reactor is briefly considered.     

Emission properties of fission fragments and their isomeric ratios

The properties of neutron emission from fragments formed in the spontaneous fission of ²⁵²Cf and in the thermal-neutron-induced fission of ²³⁵U are analyzed on the basis of the statistical model of nuclear reactions. Upon extracting the mean excitation energies of fission fragments from experimental data on the mean multiplicities of neutrons, the observables of neutron emission can be described over wide ranges of total kinetic energies and masses. The observed values of mean fragment spins are also reproduced. A method for calculating the isomeric ratios of the independent yields of fission fragments that is based on the cascade-evaporation model of excited-nucleus decay is employed to describe experimental data on ²³⁵U fission induced by thermal neutrons and on ²³⁸U fission induced by alpha particles. The effect exerted on the isomeric ratios for fission fragments by two different assumptions on the spin distributions of primary-fragment populations—the assumption of the distribution associated with rotational degrees of freedom and the assumption of the distribution associated with the internal degrees of freedom of fully accelerated fragments—is investigated.     

Neutron emission and fragment yield in high-energy fission

The KRIS special library of spectra and emission probabilities in the decays of 1500 nuclei excited up to energies between 150 and 250 MeV was developed for correctly taking into account the decay of highly excited nuclei appearing as fission fragments. The emission of neutrons, protons, and photons was taken into account. Neutron emission fromprimary fragments was found to have a substantial effect on the formation of yields of postneutron nuclei. The library was tested by comparing the calculated and measured yields of products originating from the fission of nuclei that was induced by high-energy protons. The method for calculating these yields was tested on the basis of experimental data on the thermal-neutroninduced fission of ²³⁵U nuclei.     

Decrease in the probability of tritium decay in an external electric field

The probability of tritium beta decay is shown to decrease under the effect of a constant uniform external electric field on the atom. For the tritium atom, the effect is due first to the reduction of the beta-decay endpoint energy and second to the reduction of the density of vacant bound electron states at the nucleus. Both of these factors reduce the beta-decay probability: the first reduces the probability of decay to continuum electron states, while the second reduces the probability of decay to a bound state.     

CiADS中LBE散裂靶的放射性核素研究

铅铋合金(LBE)作为中国加速器驱动系统(CiADS)散裂靶的候选材料,长期辐照使其具有很强的放射性。散裂靶放射性核素的研究仅考虑了质子束的散裂反应,而忽略了反应堆裂变中子的活化作用。本文采用FLUKA和MCNP耦合计算LBE和及其结构件的放射性产物。比较了裂变中子和高能质子在放射性产物的活度、主要放射性核素、毒性和衰变光子等方面的贡献。裂变中子的活化作用对主壳、导管和射束管有显著影响。当反应堆趋于临界状态时,裂变中子对LBE的活化作用是高于质子束流的。在LBE中,96.66%的 210Po是由裂变中子诱导的。这些结果表明,裂变中子在LBE及其结构部件的活化计算中是必不可少的。此外,本研究为CiADS的辐射防护提供了参考数据,也为ADS系统中散裂靶的放射性核素研究提供了更准确的方法。     

Statistical emission of large fragments: A general theoretical approach

A theory for the statistical emission of large fragments is developed. In analogy with the fission saddle point, a ridge line in the potential energy surface is defined which controls the decay width of the system into any two given fragments. The normal modes at the ridge are separated into three classes: decay modes, amplifying modes, and non-amplifying modes. Amplifying modes are those whose thermal fluctuations are amplified and lead to a broadening of the kinetic energy distribution. Analytical expressions for the kinetic energy distributions are developed for various combinations of amplifying and non-amplifying modes. The limit for large amplifications is a Gaussian kinetic energy distribution. The limit for no amplification is a Maxwellian-like distribution. Thus the formalism comprehends the fission decay on one hand and the neutron evaporation on the other. The angular distributions are evaluated in terms of the ridge line principal moments of inertia. A general analytical expression has been derived which predicts, correctly in both limits, the angular distributions of the evaporated neutrons and of the fission fragments.     

Inverse-beta-decay reaction in the antineutrino flux from the fragments of <Superscript>232</Superscript>Th and <Superscript>233</Superscript>U fission

The energy spectra of antineutrinos produced in the beta decay of fragments originating from ²³³U and ²³²Th fission induced by neutrons are calculated. The relevant cross sections and the spectra of positrons produced in inverse beta decay are found. This study was motivated by the hypothesis (discussed over the past decade)t hat a self-sustained chain reaction proceeds at the center of the Earth (“georeactor”). According to the author of this hypothesis, the georeactor provides energy necessary for maintaining the Earth’s magnetic field. It is ²³⁵U and, probably, ²³²Th and ²³³U that serve as a nuclear fuel in this reactor. Data obtained in the present study can be guidelines in future experiments aimed at testing the hypothesis of the georeactor and at estimating the composition of its nuclear fuel within the development of geophysical and astrophysical investigations based on the observation of antineutrino fluxes in nature.     

Determination of the fission fragment excitation energy with allowance for neutron multiplicity

The study of the excitation energy distribution of fission fragments as a function of their mass and charge is important for revealing the nuclear fission mechanism and useful for many applications. To measure directly the excitation energy of primary fission fragments (before emission of neutrons) is a great problem. A method of obtaining these excitation energies from calculated neutron multiplicities and experimental values for differential yields of fragment pairs after emission of neutrons is considered. The Empire-II code was used to calculate neutron multiplicities as a function of various characteristics of the nuclear structure, fission process, and fission fragment deexcitation.     

Description of true and delayed ternary nuclear fission accompanied by the emission of various third particles

The mechanisms and the features of the main types of nuclear ternary fission (that is, true ternary fission, in which a third particle is emitted before the rupture of the fissioning nucleus into fragments, and delayed ternary fission, in which a third particle is emitted from fission fragments going apart) are investigated within quantum-mechanical fission theory. The features of T-odd asymmetry in true ternary nuclear fission induced by cold polarized neutrons are investigated for the cases where alpha particles, prescission neutrons, and photons appear as third particles emitted by fissioning nuclei, the Coriolis interaction of the spin of the polarized fissioning nucleus with the spin of the third particle and the interference between the fission amplitudes for neutron resonances excited in the fissioning nucleus in the case of projectile-neutron capture being taken into account. For the cases where third particles emitted by fission fragments are evaporated neutrons or photons, T-odd asymmetries in delayed ternary nuclear fission induced by cold polarized neutrons are analyzed with allowance for the mechanism of pumping of large fission-fragment spins oriented orthogonally to the fragment-emission direction and with allowance for the interference between the fission amplitudes for neutron resonances.     

Diallyl phthalate resin and its copolymers containing allyl diglycol carbonate as nuclear track detectors

Diallyl phthalate (DAP) and allyl diglycol carbonate (CR-39), and mixtures of DAP and CR-39 were cast into plates under the same polymerizing conditions. The plates were irradiated with alpha-particles, fission fragments or fast neutrons. After etching, enlarged tracks on the plates were observed and counted using an optical microscope. Pure DAP plate was found to have high detection efficiency for fission fragments, but to be insensitive to alpha-particles and fast neutrons. This characteristic was suitable for detecting fission fragments. On the other hand, pure CR-39 plate was convenient for the detection of alpha-particles and fast neutrons because of high detection efficiency and sensitivity, and short etching time. The copolymers of DAP and CR-39 showed intermediate characteristics. The fabrication of the copolymers made it possible to control the discrimination level for the detection of heavy charged particles.     

4He闪烁裂变中子探测器的中子灵敏度

对4He闪烁裂变中子探测器的中子灵敏度进行了理论和实验研究。采用蒙特卡罗方法模拟了不同能量中子和不同厚度裂变靶产生的裂变碎片在4He中的能量沉积,计算结果表明:中子在4He气中的能量沉积曲线和裂变碎片的能量沉积曲线能够互补,从而使探测器对中子的能量响应变得更平坦;探测器的中子灵敏度为10-15 Ccm2量级。并对探测器的中子灵敏度进行了实验标定,实验结果与理论计算结果较为一致。     

关于裂变中子谱结构现象的理论探讨

本文提出了三种可能的物理因素,企图解释热中子对U²³⁵,Pu²³⁹的裂变中子谱中,在2-3兆电子伏附近出现的结构现象。首先讨论了核温度分布可能产生的影响,结果表明,连续的核温度分布是不会在能谱上出现有结构现象的;而在两个孤立的核温度情况,发现要在相当不合理的温度比,即T₁/T₂ ≥3 时才会在能谱上出现有结构现象。其次,考虑到在能谱的“蒸发”公式中应该用光学模型的吸收截面。在裂变的情况下,光学模型吸收截面在轻重碎片不同的能量位置出现巨共振,计算结果表明,目前裂变中子谱中2-3兆电于伏出现的结构现象,很可能是重碎片吸收截面中d波巨共振所引起。在考虑了一定的核温度分布以后,用光学模型吸收截面所计算的裂变中子谱在结构的大小和位置上,和实验符合得很好。再其次,我们考虑了中子从碎片中发射可能存在各向异性,发现它也可能在裂变中子谱上出现一定的结构现象,但是很为微弱。最后,作者提出了进一步澄清这些物理因素可能做的一些实验。     

Neutron multiplicity in the fission of 238U and 235U with neutrons up to 200 MeV

Prompt-fission-neutron multiplicities were measured for 238U(n,f) and 235U(n,f) from 0.4 to 200 MeV. The data are of great importance in connection with accelerator-coupled nuclear reactor systems incinerating actinides. We report that fission induced by 200 MeV neutrons produces approximately 10 more prompt neutrons than fission induced by reactor neutrons. Most neutrons are evaporated from the fission fragments and the prefission compound nucleus, as the preequilibrium emission of energetic neutrons accounts for a maximum of 15% of the prompt neutrons at 200 MeV.