The effect of simultaneous temperature, pressure and stress on the experimental annealing of spontaneous fission tracks in apatite: a brief overview

Tracks made in minerals by the electronic stopping of uranium fission fragments provide a modern geological dating tool, and are believed also to yield specific information on the low-temperature thermal history of rocks. Experimental work showing that the damaged crystal lattice along a fission track recovers primarily as a function of temperature ignored the fact that the basic theory of atomic diffusion requires an exponential decrease in the intrinsic diffusion coefficient with increasing pressure. Here, fission track recovery was experimentally investigated in basic apatite under the simultaneous influences of temperature, pressure and stress. We show that track fading is a complex recovery mechanism responding to several environmental physical parameters simultaneously. In particular a strong decrease in the track recovery rate was observed as a function of increasing pressure. And a nearly temperature-independent recovery was observed in samples under stress.     

Particle multiplicities in the fission-like reactions of 340 MeV Si on Th

Pre-scission and post-scission multiplicities of neutrons and alpha particles have been simultaneously measured for the fission-like reactions of 340 MeV ²⁸Si on ²³²Th. Dynamical model calculations using HICOL code predict that about 90% of the observed events are of quasi-fission type while the remaining 10% are from compound nucleus fission decay. Moving source fits were carried out to the observed neutron and alpha particle spectra, measured at different angles with respect to the fragment directions. The pre-scission and post-scission neutron multiplicities are deduced to be 8.7±2.0 and 9.4±2.0, respectively. The corresponding multiplicity values for alpha particles are found to be 0.22±0.08 and 0.1±0.03. From the measured post-scission neutron multiplicity, it is inferred that about 65±20 MeV of the initial excitation energy remains at scission. This may be compared to the value of 85±30 MeV estimated from PACE2 statistical model calculations, adjusted to reproduce the measured pre-scission neutron multiplicity. From a comparison of the Statistical Model predictions with the measured pre-scission neutron multiplicity, the fission delay is estimated to be of 5⁺⁷₋₃×10⁻²⁰ s which overlaps with the average duration of fission-like process from the contact to the scission point (2×10⁻²⁰ s) as determined from HICOL-based dynamical calculations. For the delay time deduced as above, the pre-scission alpha particle multiplicity calculated by the PACE2 code is about a factor two larger than the experimental one, demonstrating the difficulties in modelling the alpha particle emission from highly elongated shapes that characterize the fissioning system from the contact point to scission.     

Low-energy fission investigated in reactions of 750 AMeV 238U-ions on 208Pb. II: Isotopic distributions

Projectile fission of 750 AMeV ²³⁸U-ions interacting with a Pb target was studied by means of the spectrometer FRS, GSI-Darmstadt. One of the two fission fragments was detected with a transmission of few percent and identified in mass and charge. Low-energy fission (E^* < 25 MeV) events were selected by their magnetic rigidity. Whereas the production of asymmetric fission events is dominated by the GDR excitation, very asymmetric fission and symmetric fission take place after a GQR or DGDR excitation or after a nuclear interaction. Cross sections of more than 250 isotopes were measured. Isotopic distributions of low-energy fission were reconstructed for elements from Se to Te. The fission modes SI, SII and SL were clearly shown in these distributions and in the mass and TKE distributions. Charge polarization and mass dispersion were deduced for each fission mode. Finally, the characteristics of the low-energy fission process explain the production rates of neutron-rich species. Received: 14 July 1997 / Revised version: 6 October 1997     

Ternary Fission

In this review paper, ternary fission is defined as the break-up of heavy nuclei into three fragments of approximately equal mass. This relatively new type of nuclear decay has been investigated intensively during the last decade. Muga has studied ternary fission induced by thermal neutrons in uranium. The results of his experiments are discussed in detail. Ternary fission can definitely be observed and studied in the interaction of heavy target elements with 39 MeV alpha particles, 20 GeV protons, and 300—400MeV argon ions. The ratio of binary-to-binary fission for uranium is approximately 10^?4: 100 in the interaction of 39 MeV alpha particles, approximately 0.1:100 for 20 GeV protons, and 3:100 for 400MeV argon ions. A theoretical model for the interpretation of ternary fission, the “cascade model”, is described. The paper concludes with a discussion of the possible connection of ternary fission with the production and decay of still undiscovered super-heavy elements (Z = 114).     

A fluorimetric assay for cortisol

A simple, rapid and sensitive fluorimetric assay for the quantitative determination of cortisol is reported. The assay is based on the formation of a fluorescent dye when cortisol is incubated with a mixture of sulfuric acid and acetic acid. The fluorescence spectrum recorded for the resulting dye shows a maximum extinction at 475 nm and a maximum emission at 525 nm. The solvent 2-methyl-4-pentanone was used for extraction and was found to act as a fluorescence amplifier. A limit of detection of 2.7 μM was achieved, making it possible to forego solvent evaporation. The assay suffers minor interference from 11-deoxycortisol which exhibits low fluorescence at λ _ex: 460 nm; λ _em: 505 nm. Typical standard deviations were below 4%. We validated the assay using a biotransformation with recombinant Schizosaccharomyces pombe which regioselectively hydroxylates 11-deoxycortisol to cortisol. The method described herein is suitable for preliminary screening of microorganisms capable of steroid hydroxylation.     

Gammaspektren von Spaltproduktgemischen

Die Gammaspektren von Radionuklidgemischen, die als Folge der Folge der momentanen Spaltung von²³⁵ U mit thermischen Neutronen, ²³⁵U und ²³⁹ Pu mit Spaltneutronen und ²³⁸ U mit 14-MeV -Neutronen entstehen, wurden berechnet. Die Angaben über Zerfallsreihen, Spaltausbeuten, Halbwertszeiten und Nuklidgammaspektren für etwa 200 Radionuklide basieren vol allem auf einer Zusammenstellung von Davies. Es sind die Gammaspektren, die Gammaemissionsraten, die Expositionsdosisleistungen und die mittleren Energien für ein Alter der Spaltproduktgemische von einer Minute bis zu 100 Jahren angegeben.     

Radiation-enhanced diffusion and fission gas release from recrystallised grains in high burn-up \hbox{UO}_{2} nuclear fuel

The effective diffusion coefficient that gives a steady-state xenon concentration of 0.2-0.3wt% in the recrystallised grains of high burn-up UO 2 fuel is calculated to lie in the range 10 m 24 to 10 m 22 m 2 s m 1 . These values are one to three orders of magnitude lower than the value currently accepted for the radiation-enhanced diffusion coefficient. The time required to reach the steady-state concentration depends on the local fission rate, the grain size distribution and the precise magnitude of the radiation-enhanced diffusion coefficient, and can take from 2 to 10 years. Additional calculations reveal that substantially less than 10% of the fission gas inventory is released from the original UO 2 grains in the outer region of the fuel prior to recrystallisation. In contrast, with a diffusion coefficient of 10 m 22 m 2 s m 1 more than 80% of the fission gas is released from the recrystallised grains of the high burn-up structure in one year.     

Etching and annealing studies of nuclear tracks in glasses

A series of etching and annealing experiments are designed to evaluate the characteristics of fission tracks in a number of glasses of varying silica content. A comparative study has been made by comparing the calculated value of bulk etch rate, optimum etch time and annealing rate for each glass. The present investigation suggests that both bulk etch rate (V_G) and annealing rate (V_a) increases with the decrease in silica content of glasses. A minimum value of these parameters is observed for pure silica glass.     

Fragment angular distributions in electron-induced fission of 232Th

Fission fragment angular distributions have been observed in electron-induced fission of ²³²Th for electron energies 8.7 MeV ≦ E_e ≦ 30 MeV. For low energies (though above the fission threshold) the angular distributions contain both a dipole and a quadrupole component. The (90°/0°) anisotropy decreases rapidly for higher electron energies but reveals smaller peaks after the onset of second-, third- and fourth-chance fission suggesting that the effective fission barriers for ²³¹Th and ²²⁹Th in second- and fourth-chance fission, respectively, are both characterized by $\text{K =}\text{1}\text{2}$.     

The use of apatite fission track thermochronology to constrain fault movements and sedimentary basin evolution in northeastern Brazil

An apatite fission track study of crystalline rocks underlying sedimentary basins in northeastern Brazil indicate that crustal blocks that occur on opposite sides of a geological fault experienced different thermal histories. Samples collected on the West block yielded corrected fission-track ages from 140 to 375 Ma, whereas samples collected on the East block yielded ages between 90 and 125 Ma. The thermal models suggest that each block experienced two cooling events separated by a heating event at different times. We concluded that the West block moved downward relative to the East block ca. 140 Ma ago, when sediments eroded from the East side were deposited on the West side. This process represents the early stage of sedimentary basin formation and the opening of the South Atlantic Ocean in the region. Downward and upward movements related to heating and cooling events of these crustal blocks at different periods until recent times are proposed.