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.     

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.     

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.     

Swelling and structure of radiation induced near-surface damage in CR-39 and its chemical etching

Systematic measurements of swelling of CR-39 nuclear track detector (NTD) due to irradiation with fission fragments and alpha particles over a wide range of fluences from ²⁵²Cf are presented here. Precisely designed and optimized exposure and chemical etching experiments were employed to unfold the structure of radiation induced surface damage. Delays in the startup of the chemical etching of latent tracks in low radiation fluence detectors are measured and are found to contain important information about structure of the surface damage. Simple atomic scale pictures of radiation induced surface damage and its chemical etching are developed using measurements of radiation induced swelling of CR-39 detectors and nuclear track parameters. The computer code SRIM2010 was utilized for the calculations of basic features of latent tracks of fission fragments and alpha particles in CR-39. Another computer code TRACK_VISION was used to compute parameters of etched tracks. Computations and experimental findings in the paper coherently compose a realistic picture of radiation damage.     

Reduction in etching time for fission tracks in diallyl phthalate resin

Diallyl phthalate (DAP) resin plates were irradiated with fission fragments, and then etched in a conventional aqueous solution of KOH or a PEW solution containing ethanol, water and KOH. Etched tracks were observed and counted by using an optical microscope. The PEW solution made the fission tracks etch-pits clearer in an incomparably shorter etching time. The large and round etch-pits developed on a smooth surface were convenient for optical automatic counting. These etching characteristics of DAP in a PEW solution are suitable for quantitative analysis of fissionable materials and neutron dosimetry.     

Ternary fission within statistical approach

The ternary system with a light nucleus between two heavy fragments is assumed to appear from the binary configuration near scission. The formation of a third light nucleus in the binary system is considered. The calculated charge distributions in spontaneous ternary fission of ²⁵²Cf and in induced ternary fission of ⁵⁶Ni are compared with the available experimental data. The neutron multiplicity from the fission fragments is described. The fine structures of the TKE-mass distribution are predicted.     

Sub-barrier fission fragment angular distributions for the system19F+232Th

The measurements of fission fragment angular distributions for the system¹⁹F+²³²Th have been extended to the sub-barrier energies of 89.3, 91.5 and 93.6 MeV. The measured anisotropies, within errors are nearly the same over this energy region. However, the deviation of the experimental values of anisotropies from that of standard statistical model predictions increases as the bombarding energy is lowered.     

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.     

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).