Neutron-neutron angular correlations in spontaneous fission of <Superscript>252</Superscript>Cf

An experiment has been carried out to study neutron-neutron angular correlations in spontaneous fission of ²⁵²Cf. Angular dependences of the number of neutron-neutron coincidences obtained in the experiment were compared with the results of the Monte Carlo calculations for various neutron detection thresholds in the range 425–1600 keV. It was inferred that 10–11% of the total number of prompt neutrons from ²⁵²Cf (s.f.) in the laboratory system were emitted isotropically and may probably be interpreted as neutrons directly associated with the instant of scission of the nucleus. The analysis allowed their energy distribution to be determined as well. A similar method was also used to describe the angular correlation of prompt neutrons that accompanied the reaction ²³⁵U(n _th ,f).     

Charge distribution studies in the fast-neutron-induced fission of <Superscript>232</Superscript>Th, <Superscript>238</Superscript>U, <Superscript>240</Superscript>Pu and <Superscript>244</Superscript>Cm

Charge distribution studies for heavy-mass fission products were carried out in the fast-neutron-induced fission of ²³²Th, ²³⁸U, ²⁴⁰Pu and ²⁴⁴Cm using radiochemical and gamma-ray spectrometric techniques. The width parameter( σ_Z/σ_A), the most probable charge/mass ( Z _P/A _P), the charge polarization (ΔZ) and the slope of charge polarization [ δ(ΔZ)/δA ^′] as a function of the fragment mass (A ^′) were deduced. The average charge dispersion parameter ( 〈σ_Z〉) and proton odd-even effect ( δ_p) were also obtained for these fissioning systems. The 〈σ_Z〉 and δ_p values in the fissioning systems ²⁴¹Pu ^* and ²⁴⁵Cm ^* were determined for the first time. The δ(ΔZ)/δA ^′ value is also determined for the first time in the fissioning systems ²³⁹U ^* , ²⁴¹Pu ^* and ²⁴⁵Cm ^* . These data along with the literature data for even-Z fissioning systems such as ²³⁰Th ^* , ²³²Th ^* , ²³³U ^* , ²³⁴U ^* , ²³⁶U ^* , ²³⁸U ^* , ²³⁹Pu ^* , ²⁴⁰Pu*, ²⁴²Pu ^* , ²⁴⁶Cm ^* , ²⁵⁰Cf ^* and ²⁵²Cf(SF) are discussed in terms of nuclear structure effect and dynamics of descent from the saddle to the scission point. The role of the excitation energy in low-energy fission is also discussed. Received: 26 July 2002 / Accepted: 3 December 2002 / Published online: 3 April 2003 RID="a" ID="a"Present address: Emeritus Scientist (CSIR) Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Nuclear Recycle Group, WIP Building, Trombay, Mumbai-400085, India; e-mail: rhiyer@magnum. barc.ernet.in Communicated by D. Schwalm     

Microscopic analysis of the fission barriers in <Superscript>256</Superscript>Fm and <Superscript>258</Superscript>Fm

The fission barriers of ²⁵⁶Fm and ²⁵⁸Fm have been analyzed in the HFB theory. The potential energy and the effective inertia parameter have been calculated in the two-dimensional deformation space of quadrupole and octupole moments. Fission paths for various octupole moments of the exit point from the fission barrier have been determined. The half-life along each path has been calculated. The shortest half-lives have been obtained for the paths with reflection symmetric shapes of nuclei in both the considered isotopes.     

Cross section for <Superscript>246</Superscript>Cm subbarrier fission

The cross section for ²⁴⁶Cm fission induced by neutrons of energy in the range 0.1 eV-20 keV was measured by the neutron lead slowing-down spectrometer (LSDS-100) of the Institute for Nuclear Research (INR, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow). The parameters of the resonance area and of the fission width were evaluated for several low-lying s-wave neutron resonances. The parameters of the intermediate structure in the cross section for the subbarrier fusion of ²⁴⁶Cm nuclei were found. The results obtained in this way were compared with available experimental data and with recommended evaluated data.     

Spontaneous fission of <Superscript>256</Superscript>Rf,new data

Spontaneous fission properties of the short-lived neutron-deficient ²⁵⁶Rf nucleus produced in the complete fusion reaction with a beam of multiply charged heavy ⁵⁰Ti ions from the U-400 cyclotron (FLNR, JINR) are experimentally investigated. Its half-life and decay branching ratio are measured. The average number of neutrons per spontaneous fission of ²⁵⁶Rf (\(\bar v = \;4.47 \pm \;0.09\)) is determined for the first time.     

Cross section for the subbarrier fission of <Superscript>244</Superscript>Cm

The cross section for ²⁴⁴Cm fission induced by neutrons of energy in the range between 0.07 eV and 20 keV was measured by using the lead slowing-down spectrometer (LSDS-100) of the Institute for Nuclear Research (Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow). The parameters of the resonance areas were determined for the lowest eight s-wave neutron resonances, and the respective fission widths were evaluated. Also, the parameters of the intermediate structure in the cross section for the subbarrier fission of ²⁴⁴Cm nuclei were evaluated. The results were compared with available data and recommendations based on evaluations.     

Observation of deep subbarrier resonances in <Superscript>232</Superscript>Th fission

Pronounced subbarrier ²³²Th fission induced by resonance neutrons was observed.     

Proton induced fission of <Superscript>232</Superscript>Th at intermediate energies

The mass-energy distributions and cross sections of proton-induced fission of ²³²Th have been measured at the proton energies of 7, 10, 13, 20, 40, and 55 MeV. Experiments were carried out at the proton beam of the K-130 cyclotron of the JYFL Accelerator Laboratory of the University of Jyväskylä and U-150m cyclotron of the Institute of Nuclear Physics, Ministry of Energy of the Republic of Kazakhstan. The yields of fission fragments in the mass range A = 60–170 a.m.u. have been measured up to the level of 10?4%. The three humped shape of the mass distribution up has been observed at higher proton energies. The contribution of the symmetric component grows up with increasing proton incident energy; although even at 55 MeV of proton energy the shoulders in the mass energy distribution clearly indicate the asymmetric fission peaks. Evolution of shell structure was observed in the fission fragment mass distributions even at high excitation energy.     

Search for the emission of π<Superscript>0</Superscript> mesons from the neutron-induced fission of <Superscript>235</Superscript>U nuclei

A nuclear-reactor experiment on the search for the emission of neutral pions from the neutron-induced fission of ²³⁵U nuclei has been carried out. To this end, an experimental setup for searching for the emission of π⁰ mesons with high sensitivity to this process has been designed and produced. This setup consisted of two Cherenkov total-absorption spectrometers for the detection and measurements of the energy of two gamma-ray photons from π ⁰-meson decay. The spectrometers were placed at the exits of two coaxial horizontal experimental channels. To protect the detectors from low-energy β and γ rays and neutron fluxes, 3.5-m-long water filters were situated in the channels. To reject the cosmic background, large-area scintillation counters operating in the anticoincidence mode were placed over each spectrometer. The energy and time resolution of the spectrometers, as well as the efficiency of detecting charged particles by scintillation counters, were tested on the secondary electron beam of the Tomsk electron synchrotron Sirius. Runs of measurements of the effect on the operating reactor (duration of 805 h) were alternated with runs of measurements of background on the stopped reactor (duration of 403 h). Statistical processing of the experimental results yields an upper limit of ≤5.3×10 ^?12 with a 90% confidence level for the probability of the emission of neutral pions from the neutron-induced fission of ²³⁵U nuclei. This result and results of other works carried out with sources of spontaneously fissioning ²⁵²Cf nuclei show that the probabilities of the emission of π⁰ mesons from spontaneous fission and fission induced by fission-spectrum neutrons are equal to each other.     

The influence of the entrance channel on the formation and decay of the compound nucleus <Superscript>250</Superscript>No

The mass-energy and angular distributions of binary fissionlike fragments produced in the reactions ⁴⁴Ca + ²⁰⁶Pb and ⁶⁴Ni + ¹⁸⁶W, leading to the same compound nucleus ²⁵⁰No, have been measured at excitation energies of 30 and 40 MeV. The presence of the quasifission component was observed for both systems. But in the case of the ⁶⁴Ni ion, the quasifission process dominates, while in the case of the ⁴⁴Ca ion, the main process is the fusion-fission of compound nucleus ²⁵⁰No. From the angular distributions of reaction fragments, the time scales were found for quasifission and fusion-fission for both reactions.     

Symmetric and asymmetric fission modes in proton-induced fission at 660 MeV of <Superscript>238</Superscript>U

Fission product cross sections of intermediate-energy fission of ²³⁸U were used in order to construct the charge and mass yield distributions. Enriched target of ²³⁸U was irradiated by proton beam with energy 660 MeV for several hours at the LNP Phasotron, Joint Institute for Nuclear Research (JINR), Dubna, Russia. The charge distribution of the fission fragments was analyzed for calculation of isobaric cross sections. The mass yield curves were expanded into symmetric and asymmetric components according multimodal fission approach. The fissility values of actinides were calculated at given proton energy. The obtained results have been compared to the same data for targets ²³⁷Np and ²⁴¹Am.     

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.     

Nuclear-charge polarization at scission in proton-induced fission of <Superscript>233</Superscript>U

The primary and the secondary fragment mass yields and neutron multiplicity in the 11.5MeV proton-induced fission of ²³³U were determined by a double time-of-flight method. The most probable charges of the secondary fragments in the isobaric chains with A = 126 , 127, 129, 132, and 136 have been derived from the secondary mass yields together with the literature values of the fractional cumulative and independent yields measured radiochemically. The nuclear-charge polarization of primary fragments at scission was obtained by correcting the secondary fragment mass for neutron evaporation. The results show that the nuclear-charge polarization is mostly determined by the minimum potential energy of nuclei at scission and that this behavior is nearly independent not only of mass and excitation energy but also of neutron-to-proton ratios of the fissioning nuclei.