Reaction and fission cross-sections of 750 A·MeV238U ions on Pb,Cu and Al-targets

Charge-loss and fission cross-sections of²³⁸U at 750 A·MeV were measured on Al, Cu and Pb targets. The charge-loss rate was obtained by the attenuation method. Fission was selected by detecting the pair of highly ionizing fragments. Since the neutron-loss cross sections were measured in a parallel experiment for the same projectiles, all cross sections contributing to²³⁸U collisions on nuclei are available now as function of the target mass number and can be compared with current models.     

Nuclear stopping and collective flow in CSR/LanZhou energy region

Nuclear stopping and collective flow for two pairs of symmetric colliding nuclei: ²³⁸U+²³⁸U and ¹²⁹Xe+¹²⁹Xe, which are proposed to be accelerated on Cooling Storage Ring (CSR), External Target Facility (ETF), LanZhou, China, are studied by a hadronic transport model ART1.0. The incident beam energy of Uranium and Xenon can be delivered up to 520 MeV/nucleon and 900MeV/nucleon, respectively. At this CSR energy region, the hot, dense nuclear matter are thought to be obtained in the lab, which is an idea circumstance to study the nuclear equation of state (EoS). As deformation of the Uranium nuclei, it is predicted that significant large baryon density in the tip-tip U+U collision patterns and the large elliptic flow in body-body collision pattern are both avail to study the nuclear EoS.     

贫铀球壳中D-T中子诱发的铀反应率的测量与分析

为校验次临界能源堆的概念设计,在R19.4/30.0 cm的贫铀球壳装置上采用活化法开展14 MeV中子学积分实验.布放6片贫铀活化片于球壳中与入射D离子束90°方向上的不同位置处活化,用HPGe探测器测量238U(n,γ)反应、238U(n,f)及235U(n,f)反应和238U(n,2n)各反应产物发射的特征γ射线,得到了相应的反应率.238U(n,γ)反应率的不确定度为3.6％-3.7％,238U(n,D和235U(n,f)反应率的不确定度为5.1％-5.9％,238U(n,2n)反应率的不确定为4.3％-4.7％.用MCNP5程序在ENDF66c数据库下进行模拟计算,238U(n,γ)反应率的计算值/实验值(C/E)为0.972-1.034,238U(n,f)和235U(n,f)反应率的C/E为0.983-1.058,238U(n,2n)反应率的C/E为0.979-1.019.     

Study of the fission decay of the isoscalar monopole resonance via the 238U(α, α′) reaction at 0°

The fission decay of ²³⁸U has been investigated using inelastic scattering of 120 MeV ga-particles to excite the ²³⁸U nucleus. Angular correlations of the fission fragments have been measured for excitation energies between 5.7 and 15.7 MeV in coincidence with inelastically scattered α-particles between 0 and 3°. The difference in yield for fission in coincidence with inelastically scattered α-particles between 0–1.35° and 1.35–3° was used to deduce the fission decay of the giant monopole resonance. It was found that in the fission decay channel (22 ± 5)% of the E0 EWSR strength is located between 8 and 15 MeV excitation energy. The distribution of the deduced monopole strength is in agreement with recent theoretical calculations predicting splitting of the giant monopole resonance in deformed nuclei.     

Light charged particle emission and fission in238U+238U collisions at 1,740 MeV

Inclusive⁴He and⁴H energy spectra and heavy fragment coincidence correlations have been measured for reactions of 7.31 MeV/u²³⁸U with²³⁸U and^?197Au targets. The H/He production cross sections are in the range 15–26 mb, and their emission spectra are very similar for the two systems. The observed strong kinematic shifts with angle are reproduced in shape and magnitude by Monte Carlo simulations of particle evaporation from projectile-like and target-like fragments, indicating competition between charged particle emission and sequential fission. No evidence is found for high energy charged particle emission associated with ultra-highZ composite systems. Heavy fragment measurements indicate an abundance of quasielastic and deeply inelastic reaction fragments, as well as sequential fission of target and projectile nuclei. For²³⁸U nuclei, the fission occurs predominantly in an asymmetric mode, reminiscent of fission at low excitation energy. For²³⁸+²³⁸U reactions in the vicinity of the grazing angle, the frequency of single sequential fission (with survival of the partner fragment) is twice as large as double sequential fission in which both the target and projectile undergo fission. In²³⁸U+¹⁹⁷Au reactions, the survival probability of the heavy fragments is even greater. The surprisingly high survival probabilities of high-Z fragments imply a preponderance of very soft collisions in these very-heavy-ion reactions, at least at energies not very far over the Coulomb barrier.     

Experimental observation of a two-phase state of expanding nuclear matter at E p=1 GeV

A double-arm time-of-flight spectrometer was used to study the thermal multifragmentation of ²³⁸U, ²³²Th, and ¹⁹⁷Au nuclei that is induced by 1-GeV protons. It is established that the pseudoevaporation channel, where a single heavy fragment of mean mass in the range 80–90 amu is produced in association with approximately ten smaller clusters (〈M〉=7–10 amu) emitted anisotropically at low velocities, is dominant at this energy. The pseudoevaporation cross sections change from 10±5 mb for ¹⁹⁷Au to ¹²⁰±40 μb for ²³⁸U. For ²³⁸U and ²³²Th, it is found that, in the region M<8 amu, the power law is violated, which is explained by the decay of part of small primary clusters in the course nucleon exchange through the “gas” phase within the expanding nucleus. __________ Translated from Yadernaya Fizika, Vol. 64, No. 8, 2001, pp. 1541–1550. Original Russian Text Copyright ? 2001 by Chestnov, Sokolovsky.     

Energy Dependence of the Most Stable Nuclei Production in Proton-Induced 238U and 232Th Fission

Using the available experimental data, production cross sections of the most stable nuclei have been calculated for the proton-induced fission of ²³⁸U and ²³²Th at 12, 20, 35, 50, 96 MeV in case of ²³⁸U and at 8, 9.3, 12, 19.55, 32.2, 44.7, 53 MeV for ²³²Th. The analysis has been carried out for the fission fragment mass ranges corresponding to N/Z ratios in the ranges 1.33 ± 0.09 and 1.32 ± 0.08 for ²³⁸U and ²³²Th respectively. Results have been compared with the ones generated indirectly by employing GEF nuclear reaction code, version 2017/1.1. From the production cross sections point of view, for the same energy, ²³²Th is found to be a better target than ²³⁸U for producing nuclei A around the symmetric mass peak, while ²³⁸U comes out to be a better one than ²³²Th for producing the fission fragments around the asymmetric peaks of the mass distribution.

     

Quasielastic channel of single-stage nuclear fission induced by 1-GeV protons

Experimental indications that there exists single-stage fission of ²³⁸U and ²³²Th nuclei that is induced by a nearly transverse flux of intranuclear nucleons are obtained from an experiment that employs a two-arm time-of-flight spectrometer exposed to a beam of 1-GeV protons. A nearly transverse flux of mean multiplicity about 10 to 15 nucleons is initiated by a recoil nucleon of mean momentum about 240 MeV/c in the quasielastic scattering of an incident proton.     

The study of the (α, α'f) reaction at 120 MeV on 232Th and 238U: (I). Fission probabilities and angular distributions in the region of the giant quadrupole resonances

The fission decay channel of ²³²Th and ²³⁸U has been investigated, using the (α, α'f) reaction at 120 MeV bombarding energy. The angular distributions of the fission fragments and the fission probabilities up to around 15 MeV excitation have been measured. No evidence for the fission decay of the giant quadrupole resonance has been found, although for ²³⁸U, a weakly excited structure is seen in the (α, α'f) spectrum at about 9.5 MeV excitation at backward angles with respect to the recoil axis. This effect is similar to what has been found in a (⁶Li, ⁶Li'f) experiment reported recently. The over-all feature of the fission probability for excitation energies above the fission barrier are well reproduced by statistical calculations.     

Heavy-ion potentials for ellipsoidally deformed nuclei and application to the system 238U + 238U

The nuclear potential between deformed nuclei is calculated within the framework of the double-folding model. An analytical expression for the potential is obtained on condition that the two-body interaction is of gaussian type and the nuclear densities have ellipsoidal equidensity surfaces. The computed potential values are used for a least-square fit of the radial potentials in a multipole expansion of the heavy-ion potential. The method is applied for the calculation of the ²³⁸U + ²³⁸U potential.     

Ground state reorientation effects in elastic scattering cross sections

Elastic scattering cross sections are shown to be quite sensitive to ground state reorientation amplitudes and cross sections. These effects are dramatically evident when comparing scattering from even-even nuclei with that from high-spin odd-A nuclei, and may affect choices of potentials for odd versus even nuclei. Neutron scattering data from ²³⁵U and ²³⁸U are analyzed via coupled channels methods. The diffraction minima in elastic scattering from ²³⁵U are found to be dominated by reorientation cross sections. The majority of this reorientation is shown to follow from second order virtual nuclear excitations rather than proceeding through amplitudes for direct ground state reorientation.     

Evidence of complete fusion in the subbarrier 16O+238U reaction

Evaporation residue cross sections in the ¹⁶O+²³⁸U reaction were measured for the energy range from above-to extreme subbarrier. We used a He-gas-jet system to transport the fusion products, and the α decay of the evaporation residues was measured by using a rotating wheel system. The measured cross sections for ^248,249,250Fm are reproduced by a statistical model calculation, for which partial cross sections are calculated by a coupled-channel model taking into account the prolate deformation of ²³⁸U. We conclude that complete fusion is the main process in the subbarrier energy region, and quasifission is not an important channel. The text was submitted by the authors in English. On leave from China Institute of Atomic Energy, Beijing, China.     

Photofission of nuclei with allowance for wriggling vibrations of fissioning nuclei

It is confirmed that one source of the large relative orbital momenta L of fragments in spontaneous and stimulated low-energy nuclear fission is quantum transverse zero-point wriggling vibrations of the fissioning system near its scission point. The angular distributions of fragments of low-energy photofission of actinide nuclei, calculated using the quantum theory of fission, are compared. Vibrations are allowed for by using parameter C _w determined by Nix and Swiatecki. Agreement between the experimental and theoretical angular distributions for ²³⁴U, ²³⁶U, ²³⁸U, ²³⁸Pu, ²⁴⁰Pu, ²⁴²Pu nuclei is observed. The strong sensitivity of the theoretical angular distributions for ²³⁸Pu, ²⁴⁰Pu, ²⁴²Pu nuclei toward the choice of parameters of transient fissioning states at the external and internal fission barriers is demonstrated.     

Analysis of209Bi and238U photofission cross section in the quasi-deuteron region of photonuclear absorption

An analysis of the photofission reactions in the quasi-deuteron energy range of photonuclear absorption (30–140 MeV) has been performed for²⁰⁹Bi and²³⁸U nuclei. Experimental cross section data available in the literature have been compared with calculated values obtained from a model in which the incoming photon is assumed to be absorbed by a neutron-proton pair (Levinger's quasi-deuteron photoabsorption), followed by a mechanism of evaporation-fission competition for the excited residual nuclei. The model has been shown to reproduce the main experimental features of²⁰⁹Bi and²³⁸U photofission cross section, although unexplained differences still remain in the case of²³⁸U-fission by 30– 50 MeV incident photons.     

Cross sections for nuclear reactions in collisions of238U+238U and238U +197Au near and below the coulomb barrier

Cross sections for nuclear reactions at beam energies near and below the spherical Coulomb barrier V _c were measured in the very heavy collision systems²³⁸U +²³⁸U and²³⁸U +¹⁹⁷Au. The most probable reaction channel with mass transfer is the one-neutron transfer. Its excitation function is understood in terms of Rutherford trajectories together with the quantal process of neutron tunnelling over large distances. In addition, the exchange of up to 15 nucleons is observed down to 0.90 V _c . The excitation functions for the multi-nucleon transfer products have much steeper slopes than that for one-neutron transfer, and are steeper for²³⁸U +¹⁹⁷Au than for²³⁸U +²³⁸U, suggesting that nuclear contact is established in the associated collisions. The angular distribution for one selected multi-nucleon transfer product,²²⁷Th, shows that its formation occurs in more central collisions within contact times shorter than about 10^?21 s. There is no evidence for very longlived di-nuclear systems in the these reactions.     

High-Sensitivity Fast Neutron Detector KNK-2-8M

The design of the fast neutron detector KNK-2-8M is outlined. The results of he detector study in the pulse counting mode with pulses from ²³⁸U nuclei fission in the radiator of the neutron-sensitive section and in the current mode with separation of functional section currents are presented. The possibilities of determination of the effective number of ²³⁸U nuclei in the radiator of the neutron-sensitive section are considered. The diagnostic capabilities of the detector in the counting mode are demonstrated, as exemplified by the analysis of reference data on characteristics of neutron fields in the BR-1 reactor hall. The diagnostic capabilities of the detector in the current mode are demonstrated, as exemplified by the results of measurements of ²³⁸U fission intensity in the power startup of the BR-K1 reactor in the fission pulse generation mode with delayed neutrons and the detector placed in the reactor cavity in conditions of large-scale variation of the reactor radiation fields.     

The level structures of the nuclei232Th and238U

Time-of-flight gating techniques have been used to study the decay γ-rays from states excited by inelastic scattering of neutrons from²³²Th and²³⁸U. Neutron energies up to 1900 MeV have been used. From accurate determinations of the γ-ray energies, intensities and thresholds, detailed level and decay schemes have been obtained for²³²Th and²³⁸U. New levels in both nuclei are observed at larger excitations than before and the present work is incompatible with some previously accepted spin and collective band assignments derived from Coulomb excitation studies.     

The low-energy dipole structure of <Superscript>232</Superscript>Th , <Superscript>236</Superscript>U and <Superscript>238</Superscript>U actinide nuclei

In this study, I^p = 1⁺\ensuremath I^{\pi} = 1^{+} and I^p = 1^-\ensuremath I^{\pi} = 1^{-} dipole mode excitations are systematically investigated within the rotational and translational + Galilean invariant quasiparticle random-phase approximation for ²³²Th , ²³⁶U , and ²³⁸U actinide nuclei. It is shown that the investigated nuclei reach a B(M1) strength structure, which corresponds to the scissors mode. The calculated mean excitation energies as well as the summed B(M1) value of the scissors mode excitations are consistent with the available experimental data. The results of calculations indicate large differences to the rare-earth nuclei as is the case for the experiment: a doubling of the observed dipole strengths and a shift of the energy centroid to the lower energies by about 800keV. The calculations indicate the presence of a few prominent negative-parity K^p = 1^-\ensuremath K^{\pi} = 1^{-} states in the 2.0-4.0MeV energy interval. The occurrence of the negative-parity dipole states with the rather high B(E1) value less than 4MeV shows the necessity of explicit parity measurements for the correct determination of the scissors mode strength in ²³²Th , ²³⁶U , and ²³⁸U isotopes.