SSNTD and radiochemical studies on the transmutation of nuclei using relativistic ions

Extended targets were irradiated for transmutation studies with relativistic heavy ions. For this, a metal core was surrounded by a paraffin moderator. The metal is either copper or lead and it was irradiated with deuterium, alpha, or carbon beams of 1.5 or 3.7 GeV/u at the SYNCHROPHASOTRON, LHE, JINR, Dubna, Russia. During this irradiation copious amounts of secondary neutrons are produced and studied with SSNTD detectors and radiochemical sensors, for example ¹³⁹La (n, γ) ¹⁴⁰La→β⁻. The yield of reaction products allows an estimation of secondary neutron fluxes. The yields of all kinds of reactions produced with deuterium and alpha beams obey to some extent the law of “limiting fragmentation”, i.e. they show little influence on the energy and the kind of incoming particles. However, one observes with 44 GeV ¹²C ions always enhanced nuclear cross-sections induced by secondary particles. This behavior could not be confirmed with theoretical estimations based on the Dubna Cascade Model in its Cascade Evaporation Model version (DCM-CEM). Finally, some results for transmutation studies on ¹²⁷I and Cu will be presented.     

Neutron production in extended Cu-target irradiated with relativistic C-ions at Dubna, as studied with SSNTD and nuclear chemistry

An extended Cu-target was irradiated with 22 and 44 GeV carbon ions. The target was in contact with a (CH₂)_n-block for the moderation of secondary neutrons. Small holes in the moderator were filled with either lanthanium salts or uranium oxide. The reaction ¹³⁹La (n,γ) ¹⁴⁰La was studied via the decay of ¹⁴⁰La (40 h), and the reaction ²³⁸U (n, γ) ²³⁹U ²³⁹Np was studied via the decay of ²³⁹Np (2.3 d). In addition, a variety of solid state nuclear track detectors (SSNTD) were used. Results will be presented. The yields for the formation of (n, γ) products agree essentially with other experiments on extended targets carried out at the Synchrophasotron LHE, JINR (Dubna). To a first approximation, the breeding rate of (n, γ) products, as well as the specific track density, seen with several SSNTDs, doubles when the carbon energy is increased from 22 to 44 GeV. If, however, results at 44 GeV are compared in detail to those at 22 GeV, we observe an excess of (37 ± 9) % in the experimentally observed ²³⁹Np-breeding rate over theoretical estimations. Experiments using solid state nuclear track detectors are giving similar results. We also observed in the past such excess in the yield of other secondary particles in relativistic heavy ion interactions above a total energy of approximately 35–40 GeV.     

The response of thermally and optically stimulated luminescence from Al2O3:C to high-energy heavy charged particles

The thermoluminescence (TL) and optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) response of Al₂O₃ dosimeters to high-energy heavy charged particles (HCP) has been studied using the heavy ion medical accelarator at Chiba, Japan. The samples were Al₂O₃ single-crystal chips, of the type usually known as TLD-500, and Luxel^TM dosimeters (Al₂O₃:C powder in plastic) from Landauer Inc. The samples were exposed to ⁴He (150 MeV/u), ¹²C (400 MeV/u), ²⁸Si (490 MeV/u) and ⁵⁶Fe (500 MeV/u) ions, with linear energy transfer values covering the range from 2.26 to 189 keV/μm in water and doses from 1 to 100 mGy (to water). A ⁹⁰Sr/⁹⁰Y beta source, calibrated against a ⁶⁰Co secondary standard, was used for calibration purposes. For OSL, we used both continuous-wave OSL measurements (CW-OSL, using green light stimulation at 525 nm) and pulsed OSL measurements (POSL, using 532 nm stimulation from a Nd:YAG Q-switched laser). The efficiencies (η_HCP,γ) of the different HCPs at producing OSL or TL were observed to depend not only upon the linear energy transfer (LET) of the HCP, but also upon the sample type (single crystal chip or Luxel^TM) and the luminescence method used to define the signal—i.e. TL, CW-OSL initial intensity, CW-OSL total area, or POSL. Observed changes in shape of the decay curve lead to potential methods for extracting LET information of unknown radiation fields. A discussion of the results is given, including the potential use of OSL from Al₂O₃ in the areas of space radiation dosimetry and radiation oncology.     

Nuclear track radiography of “Hot” aerosol particles

Nuclear track radiography was applied to identify aerosol “hot” particles which contain elements of nuclear fuel and fallout after Chernobyl NPP accident. For the determination of the content of transuranium elements in radioactive aerosols the measurement of the -activity of “hot” particles by SSNTD was used in this work, as well as radiography of fission fragments formed as a result of the reactions (n,f) and (γ,f) in the irradiation of aerosol filters by thermal neutrons and high energy gamma quanta. The technique allowed the sizes and alpha-activity of “hot” particles to be determined without extracting them from the filter, as well as the determination of the uranium content and its enrichment by ²³⁵U, ²³⁹Pu and ²⁴¹Pu isotopes. Sensitivity of determination of alpha activity by fission method is 5×10⁻⁶ Bq per particle. The software for the system of image analysis was created. It ensured the identification of track clusters on an optical image of the SSNTD surface obtained through a video camera and the determination of size and activity of “hot” particles.     

Heavy-ion reactions induced by O, O and F ions

Excitation curves have been determined from γ-ray yield measurements for heavyion reactions induced by E_lab = 12–30 MeV ¹⁶O, ¹⁸O and ¹⁹F ions incident upon thick targets of ⁹Be, ¹⁰B, ¹¹B, ¹²C and ²³Na. The yields of radioactive decay products with half-lives greater than one second were measured; hence a large number of the outgoing reaction channels could be observed. The preponderance of heavy reaction products suggests compound-nucleus formation as the dominant reaction mechanism. Statistical-model calculations with a spin-dependent level density have been performed, in which the nuclear moment of inertia was treated as a parameter. Many of the results can be explained satisfactorily with a nuclear moment of inertia 0.55 to 0.7 of the rigid body value.     

Heavy ion induced damage in MgAl2O4, an inert matrix candidate for the transmutation of minor actinides

Magnesium aluminum spinel (MgAl₂O₄) is a material selected as a possible matrix for transmutation of minor actinides by neutron capture or fission in nuclear reactors. To study the radiation stability of this inert matrix, especially against fission product impact, irradiations with heavy energetic ions or clusters have been performed. The high electronic energy losses of the heavy ions in this material led to the formation of visible tracks as evidenced by transmission electron microscopy for 30 MeV C₆₀-Buckminster fullerenes and for ions of energy close to or higher than fission energy (²⁰⁹Bi with 120 MeV and 2.38 GeV energy). The irradiations at high energies showed a pronounced degradation of the spinel. Additionally, MgAl₂O₄ exhibited a large swelling for irradiation at high fluences with fission products of fission energy (here I-ions of 72 MeV) and at temperatures ≤ 500 °C. These observations are discussed from the technological point of view in the frame of using MgAl₂O₄ as an inert matrix for the transmutation of minor actinides.     

Design of a multifoil electrolytically controlled etching cell

Irradiating polymer films with heavy ions and subsequent electrolytically controlled etching (ECE) produces nuclear track filters with desired pore dimensions and pore density. During ECE, an electric field with low field strength and a frequency in the audio range is applied across the irradiated polymer film, which is immersed in the etching solution. An ECE cell for the simultaneous etching of three irradiated samples has been designed and developed. The average pore diameter and break-through time for tracks due to ²³⁸U(11.4 and 14 MeV/u) and ²⁰⁹Bi(13 MeV/u) ions in polycarbonate and polyethylene terepthalate have been measured.     

Reaction filters. Charged-particle multiplicity and linear momentum transfer

The relation between charged-particle multiplicity and linear momentum transfer to heavy reaction residues has been investigated with a 4π charged-particle detector for the reactions ³⁶Ar+²³⁸U at E/A=35 MeV and ¹⁴N+²³⁸U at E/A=50 MeV. The multiplicity of charged particles at backward angles (θ > 35°) incrreases linear momentum transfer while the multiplicity of charged particles in the forward direction is almost independent of the linear momentum transfer.     

Self energies of the pion and the Δ isobar from the He(e,e′π)H reaction

In a kinematically complete experiment at the Mainz microtron MAMI, pion angular distributions of the ³He(e,e′π⁺)³H reaction have been measured in the excitation region of the Δ resonance to determine the longitudinal (L), transverse (T), and the LT interference part of the differential cross section. The data are described only after introducing self-energy modifications of the pion and Δ-isobar propagators. Using Chiral Perturbation Theory (ChPT) to extrapolate the pion self energy as inferred from the measurement on the mass shell, we deduce a reduction of the π⁺ mass of MeV/c² in the neutron-rich nuclear medium at a density of fm⁻³. Our data are consistent with the Δ self energy determined from measurements of π⁰ photoproduction from ⁴He and heavier nuclei.     

Proton polarization observables for the elastic and inelastic scattering of 500 MeV protons from Ca and Pb

Measurements for the elastic and inelastic scattering of 500 MeV protons from ⁴⁰Ca and ²⁰⁸Pb at small momentum transfers are reported. The induced proton polarization P and the spin rotation parameter Q were measured for the elastic scattering. The spin rotation parameters D_SS′, D_SL′, D_LL′, d_LS′ and the induced polarization P were measured for transitions to the 3⁻(3.37 MeV) and 5⁻(4.48 MeV) states in ⁴⁰Ca and the 3⁻(2.61 MeV) state in ²⁰⁸Pb. Comparisons of the data with the theoretical calculations were carried out in the framework of nonrelativistic and relativistic approaches. We extracted the spin-up and spin-down channels for the elastic scattering cross sections and found that predictions of the relativistic and nonrelativistic approaches agree well with the spin-up channel data and differ considerably in the spin-down channel.     

High-resolution gamma-ray spectroscopy of ΛLi

We report on the first observation of hypernuclear γ transitions using germanium detectors. Using a large-acceptance Ge detector system, we observed two γ transitions in _Λ⁷Li, the spin-flip transition at 689±4keV and the transition at 2050±2 keV (preliminary). The strength of the ΛN spin-spin interaction is derived from the energy of the former transition. As for the latter transition, B(E2) was measured to be 3.9±0.6±0.4 e²fm⁴ (preliminary), which indicates a shrinkage of the nuclear size of _Λ⁷Li from ⁶Li and confirms “glue-like role” of Λ.     

Oxygen interaction with Cu(100) studied by AES, ELS, Leed and work function changes

The interaction of oxygen with Cu(100) surfaces was investigated from 85 to 800 K by AES, ELS, LEED and work function change. At T300 K three different states of oxygen bonding are observed:

1. Chemisorption of oxygen (dosages up to 10²L), indicated by an increase of the work function change Δφ and O(KLL) signal height.

2. Incorporation of oxygen into the Cu sublayer with further oxygen uptake accompanied by a decrease of Δφ, and a shift of the O(KLL) Auger transition to lower energy (10²−10⁶L).

3. Growing of Cu(I) oxide, characterized by an increase of Δφ, shifts of the oxygen and copper Auger transitions and significant changes in ELS and AES line shapes (3×10⁶L, 10⁻³−5×10⁻¹torr). At low temperature (85 K) a second adsorbed oxygen species is detected.     

Pion-transfer (n, d) and (d, He) reactions leading to deeply bound pionic atoms

Theoretical studies are given on the (n, d) and (d, ³He) reactions leading to deeply bound pionic atoms in heavy nuclei of configuration [(nl)_π·j_n⁻¹]J. The cross sections for various pionic and neutron-hole configurations in the case of a ²⁰⁸Pb target are calculated at incident energies 300–1000 MeV/u by using the effective number approach and the eikonal approximation for distortion. The effective number with a pion in the 1s or 2p state and a neutron hole in the orbit peaks around the same incident energy (T_n = 600 MeV) as the elementary cross section n+n→d+π⁻, where the momentum transfer matches the angular-momentum transfer of L = 5–7. The DWIA cross section for (n,d) producing a pion in the 1s or 2p orbit at T_n = 600 MeV is found to be around 42 or 75 μb/sr, respectively. At T_n = 350 MeV, where the momentum transfer is small, quasi-substitutional states of configurations and are preferentially populated with (n, d) cross sections of 95 and 190 μb/sr, respectively. The (d, ³He) cross sections are estimated to be an order of magnitude smaller than the (n, d) cross sections. Thus, the (n, d) and (d, ³He) reactions are found to be suited for the production of deeply bound pionic atoms.     

The Fermi matrix elements inferred from β-γ(CP) correlation measurements in Fe decay

Measurements have been made of the β-γ circular-polarization correlation paramter A for the 273 keV β-branch in the decay of ⁵⁹Fe. It has recently been established that each of the principal β-branches of ⁵⁹Fe involves ΔJ=0 and thus has a possible non-zero Fermi matrix element M_F which can be determined from the ƒt value and A. Previous β-γ (_CP) measurements on this nucleide have all employed the usual γ-ray scattering technique. This method is suitable for the 475 keV β-branch but does not produce an accurate measurement of the lower energy branch because of energy discrimination difficulties. A transmission polarimeter with γ-discrimination has been used in the present work to obtain clean data on the 273 keV β-1.29 MeV γ-cascade. Calibration with ⁶⁰Co (1.33 MeV) and ²⁸Al (1.79 MeV) yielded A = −0.154±0.023. This gives for the isospin impurity coefficient and the effective Coulomb matrix element of the 1.29 MeV state (1.1±1.4) × 10⁻³ and 9±11 keV, respectively.     

Proximity scattering in the sequential decay Ca(d, n)Sc3.46(p)Ca

In a nuclear two-stage reaction proceeding through excited states of an unstable intermediate system, rescattering can occur between two of the three outgoing particles as a special type of final-state interaction (“proximity scattering”). The probability for proximity scattering increases with a decreasing lifetime of the intermediate state. Correlations between protons and neutrons from the reaction ⁴⁰Ca(d, np)⁴⁰Ca were measured at a bombarding energy of 5.80 MeV and a neutron emission angle of 70°. The results are compared with a quantal calculation of the cross section for this process. A width Γ = 50±20 keV for the excited state at 3.46 MeV in ⁴¹Sc has been deduced from this comparison. Apparent discrepancies between the Γ-values obtained by this method and by a classical prediction for the proximity scattering probability are discussed.     

Measurements of interaction cross sections and radii of He isotopes

Secondary beams of ³He, ⁴He, ⁶He, and ⁸He were produced through the projectile fragmentation of an 800 MeV/nucleon ¹¹B primary beam. Interaction cross sections (σ_I) of all He isotopes of 790 MeV/nucleon on Be, C, and Al targets were measured by a transmission-type experiment. The interaction nuclear radii of He isotopes R_I(He) = (σ_I/π)^1/2 − R _I(T) where R_I(T) is the radius of the target nucleus, have been deduced to be R_I(³He) = 1.59 ± 0.06 fm, R_I(⁴He) = 1.40 ± 0.05 fm, R_I(⁶He) = 2.21 ± 0.06 fm, and R_I(⁸He) = 2.52 ± 0.06 fm.     

Measurement of the average polarization of B produced by polarized muons in the μ + C → νμ + B reaction

The average polarization of ¹²B produced by the capture of polarized muons in ¹²C has been measured using recoil implantation techniques. From the result we deduce the average polarization of the ¹²B ground state ¹²B(0) corresponding to the ¹²C → ¹²B(0) Gamow-Teller reaction: J_μ(0) = 0.43 ± 0.10. The sizeable deviation of this polarization from the value of 2/3, characteristic of a “bare” 0⁺ → 1⁺ process, is a fair evidence for induced axial-vector interaction(s) in muon capture. The ratio of the induced pseudoscalar and the axial-vector coupling constants is deduced to be: g^μ_P/g^μ_A = 12 ± 5.     

Two separate Li ionic motions observed by Li and B NMR in xLi2S + (1 − x)B2S3 glassy fast ionic conductors

Studies of ion dynamics in the highly conductive glassy fast ionic conductor (FIC) xLi₂S + (1 − x)B₂S₃ (x = 0.65 and 0.70) were made with NMR nuclear spin lattice relaxation (NSLR) R₁(ω, T) of both mobile ⁷Li and immobile ¹¹B ions, and ⁷Li NMR line narrowing δν(T). The possible dependence of ion dynamics on the short range order structures (SRO) and the distribution of activation energies (DAE) in this highly conductive FIC was investigated. Two Gaussian DAE were employed to fit ⁷Li NSLR data, where each Gaussian DAE was correlated to a separate ¹¹B NSLR in a BS₃ and in a BS₄ group. The long range diffusion of Li ions among BS₃ groups and a seemingly localized ionic hopping motion around BS₄ group is suggested as a microscopic model for the ion dynamics in thioborate glasses, namely a ‘two channel relaxation’.     

A calculation of some parameters in Migdal's theory of nuclei

Some of the parameters in Migdal's theory of nuclei have been calculated. We used principally Landau's phenomenological approach to obtain the quasi-particle interaction. The energy was calculated by Brueckner's theory. We have used effective interactions which in infinite nuclear matter give the same potential energies in (¹S₀+¹D₂ and (³S₁+³D₁) states as the Hamada-Johnston potential. Other contributions to the binding energy were neglected. The nuclear compressibility K was calculated both from the energy-versus-density curve and from the calculated parameters of Migdal's theory. The results were not in conflict with each other. The values of K obtained were 100–150 MeV, which agrees reasonably well with other calculations in infinite nuclear matter, but they are only about of the values bsed by Migdal and collaborators. We obtained 0.7 for the effective mass and 22–25 MeV for the symmetry energy. The latter result agrees reasonably well with empirical values. An attempt to use the Green function approach in the calculations of the parameters was not successful because of poor convergence, if any.     

In-band M1 and E2 transition rates and collective structures in Ba

Subpicosecond mean lifetimes of eight excited states in ¹²⁸Ba populated via the ⁹⁶Zr(³⁶S,4n) reaction were measured by the Doppler-shift attenuation (DSA) technique using a line-shape analysis. The differential decay-curve method (DDCM) was applied for the lifetime determination. The B(E2) values in the yrast band indicate that the first band-crossing is with a proton S-band. The configuration πh_11/2d_5/2 of the negative-parity semi-decoupled bands is confirmed by the measured B(E2, I → I − 2) and B(M1, I → I − 1) transition strengths. The higher-lying “dipole” band in ¹²⁸Ba can be described as a high-K four-quasiparticle band built on the prolate configuration (πh_11/2d_5/2) (νh_11/2g_7/2).