Production of neutron-rich isotopes in fission of uranium induced by neutrons of 20 MeV average energy

In the context of a parameter study conducted by several laboratories for future European radioactive beam facilities based on fast-neutron induced fission, in particular for the SPIRAL-II project at GANIL, we have measured the yields of neutron-rich isotopes in the mass range of 88 to 144. These nuclei were obtained as fission products of natural uranium bombarded by neutrons of 20 MeV average energy emitted by a thick carbon target irradiated by 50 MeV deuterons. Yields have been measured using on-line mass separation with the ion-guide method. Compared with proton-induced fission at 25 MeV the magnitude of cross-sections, except for the symmetric region, is similar. Z-distributions of isobars have the same width, 0.7 charge units, but their maxima are shifted by about 0.8 charge units, favouring production of the neutron-richer isobars. Our data allow calculations of absolute cross-sections for fission of natural uranium induced by neutrons of about 20 MeV. Received: 10 July 2000 / Accepted: 27 October 2000     

Nuclear-charge polarization at scission in the 12 MeV proton-induced fission of <Superscript>232</Superscript>Th

The most probable charges of secondary fragments, produced after neutron evaporation from primary fragments, have been evaluated using fractional cumulative and mass yields in the 12MeV proton-induced fission of ²³²Th . The nuclear-charge polarization of primary fragments at scission has been obtained by correcting the most probable charge of secondary fragments for neutron evaporation. The fragment mass dependence of the nuclear-charge polarization at scission shows good agreement with that for thermal neutron-induced fission of ²³⁵U , indicating that the nuclear-charge polarization is nearly insensitive to mass and excitation energy of the fissioning nucleus for asymmetric fission in the actinide region.     

Production of neutron-rich nuclei in fission induced by neutrons generated by the p + <Superscript>13</Superscript>C reaction at 55 MeV

Cross-sections for the production of neutron-rich nuclei obtained by neutron-induced fission of natural uranium have been measured. The neutrons were generated by bombarding a ¹³C target with 55 MeV protons. The results, position of the maximum in the (Z, A)-plane, width and magnitude, are very comparable with those where the neutrons are generated by bombardment of natural ¹²C graphite with 50 MeV deuterons. Depending on the geometry of the converter/target assembly the isotope yields, however, are a factor of 2-3 lower due to less efficient production of neutrons per primary projectile, especially at small forward angles. Received: 8 November 2002 / Accepted: 20 December 2002 / Published online: 15 April 2003     

Fragment mass dependence of angular anisotropy in 15 MeV proton-induced fission of 244Pu

Angular distributions of fission fragments with mass number A=97-159 have been measured by the radiochemical recoil-catcher method in the proton-induced fission of ²⁴⁴Pu with the incident energy of 15 MeV. Angular anisotropies of extreme asymmetric mass division products even up to the fragment mass ratio of A _H /A _L ∼ 1.85 are found not any different from those of the typical asymmetric mass division products with A∼ 138, which indicates that no clear evidence is observed for the existence of an additional saddle point configuration in the extreme asymmetric mass division. The correlation between the saddle point state evaluated from the angular anisotropy and the mass division mode is discussed.     

Modeling a neutron-rich nuclei source

The deuteron break-up process in a suitable converter gives rise to intense neutron beams. A source of neutron-rich nuclei based on the neutron-induced fission can be realised using these beams. A theoretical optimization of such a facility as a function of the incident deuteron energy is reported. The model used to determine the fission products takes into account the excitation energy of the target nucleus and the evaporation of prompt neutrons. Results are presented in connection with a converter-target specific geometry. Received: 1 December 2000 / Accepted: 12 May 2001     

On-line production of Rb and Cs isotopes from uranium carbide targets

A series of on-line mass separation experiments have been performed at the IRIS facility to measure the yield and release of Rb and Cs neutron-rich isotopes produced by fission reaction of ²³⁸U. A 1 GeV proton beam was used to bombard uranium carbide targets with the densities of 11 g/cm³ and 1.5 g/cm³ held at temperatures in the range (2000-2230) ^°C. The release curves of Rb and Cs long-lived isotopes were measured from both kinds of targets. The overall production efficiency was determined making use of experimentally measured cross-sections of that isotope production. Comparison of the experimental yields of Rb and Cs isotopes with the calculated ones after corrections for losses due to finite release times suggests that the diffusion is the dominating process reducing the efficiency for short-lived isotopes. When normalized to the same thickness, an enhancement for the high-density rod target of the measured isotope yields is observed when going far from stability. This is possibly explained by the reactions induced by secondary neutrons. A significant odd-even effect with higher yields of Cs even neutron isotopes has been observed, confirming a similar effect obtained in earlier experiments.     

Peculiarities in fragment mass distribution in the 238U + 40Ar (243 MeV) reaction

A pronounced fine structure (FS) in the form of distinct peaks was observed in neutron gated mass spectra from the decay of the ²⁷⁸110 composite system produced in the reaction ²³⁸U + ⁴⁰Ar (243 MeV) at an initial excitation energy E ^* > 70 MeV. The FS peaks are located in the vicinity of mass numbers 70-80, 100, and 130, which correspond to those of magic nuclei (clusters). In the data there is also evidence for a new type of decay -- collinear cluster tripartition of an excited nucleus. Received: 8 August 2000 / Accepted: 2 February 2001     

Multifoil UCx target for the SPES project --An update

The target system is one of the key issues for the facilities aimed at the production of neutron-rich radioactive ion beams. In the framework of the SPES project (Study for the Production of Exotic Species), the possibility of using a target configuration with a proton beam (40MeV, 0.2mA) directly impinging on multiple uranium carbide disks is investigated. The ²³⁸U fission fragments constitute the source for the exotic beams and for this purpose the disks are placed inside a graphite box at 2000 ^°C. The target is split into several thin disks in order to allow the cooling of the system by thermal radiation. In this way about ∼ 10¹³ fissions s ^-1 are obtained with a relative simple system and with relative low costs. Further steps have been performed compared to previous publications and now all the main parameters of the system have been analysed by means of calculation codes: the fission rates and the fission fragment distribution; the power deposition and the thermal analysis; the thermo-mechanical behaviours of the disks; the effusive and diffusive extraction release properties of the target.     

Release time calculations for the SPES direct UCx target

A Direct Target for a mid-term RIB ISOL-type facility is being developed at LNL, in the framework of the R&D for the SPES project [1]. Using a 40 MeV proton beam impinging on a UCx thick target of 2.5 g/cm³ density, a production rate of 10¹³ in target fissions per second is expected [2]. The crucial point, when short-lived isotopes are produced in the target, is to build systems (target + ion source) with good release properties and high efficiency. Monte Carlo simulations were performed using the GEANT4 toolkit [3] and the RIBO code [4] in order to optimize our target geometry and to estimate the average release time.     

Fission fragment production from uranium carbide disc targets

A possible solution for a target system aimed at the production of exotic nuclei as a result of high-energy fissions in ²³⁸U compounds has been analyzed. The configuration proposed is constituted by a primary proton beam (40 MeV, 0.4 mA) directly impinging on a UC₂ multiple-disc target inserted within a cylindrical tungsten box. In order to extract the fission fragments, the tungsten box has to be kept at 2000 ^°C. This system has been conceived to obtain both a high number of fission fragments (about 2 ^. 10¹³ atoms/s) and a quite low power deposition in the target. The power release and the fragment distribution have been calculated by means of the Monte Carlo code MCNPX. The thermal analysis of the proposed configuration shows the capability of the thermal radiation to cool the discs with a reasonable margin below the material melting point. Moreover, the possibility of increasing such margin with simple modifications of the target design is shown by means of parametric analyses. The thermal analysis of the tungsten box, also cooled by radiation, points out the necessity to heat it and/or shield it thermally, in order to take it at the requested temperature. Preliminary calculations of the target-induced activity have also been performed.     

The SPES direct UCx target

A possible solution for a target system aimed at the production of exotic nuclei as a result of high energy fissions in ²³⁸U compounds has been analyzed. The proposed configuration is constituted by a primary proton beam (40 MeV, 0.2 mA) directly impinging on uranium carbide disks inserted within a cylindrical carbon box. This system has been conceived to obtain both a high number of neutron rich atoms (originated from about 10¹³ fissions/s) and a low power deposition in the target. In order to extract the fission fragments, the box has to be hold at 2000^○C. The thermal analysis shows the capability of the thermal radiation to cool the disks with a reasonable margin below the material melting point. Moreover, the analyses of the thermo-mechanical behaviour and of the effusion times confirm the promising features of this target configuration.     

Neutron-rich nuclei and fission; recent developments and future aspects

Production and studies of neutron-rich nuclei produced in fission are reviewed. Some recent experiments performed with the ISOL technique at the IGISOL and the ISOLDE facilities are reviewed. The manipulation of neutron-rich nuclei is discussed with a special focus on radioactive ion cooling and trapping techniques under construction worldwide. Perspectives of obtaining intense post accelarated beams of fission products are discussed. Received: 1 May 2001 / Accepted: 4 December 2001     

Semi-microscopical description of the scission configuration in the neutronless fission of 252Cf

The neutronless fission of ²⁵²Cf is studied in the frame of a molecular model in which the scission configuration is described by two aligned fragments interacting by means of Coulomb (+ nuclear) forces. The study is carried out for different distances between the fragments tips and excitation energies. For a given deformation, the fragment's total energy is computed via the constrained Hartree-Fock + BCS formalism. The total excitation energy present in the fragments is supposed to contribute only to the fragments deformation and the asymptotic value of the kinetic energy is equated to the inter-fragment potential at scission. These two constraints are yielding a few fission channels for a fixed tip distance and excitation energy. Discarding those fission channels corresponding to a disequilibrium in the sharing of the excitation energy between the two fragments, we establish the most likely scission configurations for a specified excitation energy. Received: 24 September 1999     

High-spin structure of the neutron-rich 107,109 45Rh isotopes: the role of triaxiality

The ^107,109Rh nuclei have been produced as fission fragments following the fusion reaction ²⁸Si +¹⁷⁶Yb at 145 MeV bombarding energy and studied with the Eurogam2 array. In both nuclei three new rotational bands with the odd proton occupying the πg_9/2, πp_1/2 and π(g_7/2/d_5/2) sub-shells have been observed. In ¹⁰⁷Rh, two other bands involving strong M1 transitions have been identified at excitation energy larger than 2 MeV. They can be interpreted in terms of three quasiparticle excitations. In addition new structures consisting of four transitions, built on states located at low excitation energy (680 keV in ¹⁰⁷Rh and 642 keV in ¹⁰⁹Rh), point out the importance of triaxial deformation in these two isotopes. Received: 1 September 1999     

Production of medium-weight isotopes by fragmentation in 750 A MeV 238U on 208Pb collisions

Projectile fragmentation of ²³⁸U in a lead target was investigated at a bombarding energy of 750 A MeV. Isotopic production cross sections of about 250 different projectile fragments in the element range Z= 30–53 were measured with the FRagment Separator (FRS). The magnetic selection and the kinematical analysis of the measured isotopes allowed to disentangle fission and fragmentation residues. The mass loss of these residues indicates a violent collision where a large amount of energy is dissipated. The position of the fragmentation corridor defined by the measured residues was used to determine an effective proton-evaporation barrier. Received: 3 October 1997 / Revised version: 27 February 1998     

Fast fission mechanism and duality of the diffusion process

The reaction of ²³⁸U with ¹²C was studied radiochemically with the purpose of elucidating fast fission characteristics. From the difference in the mass distribution below and above the critical energy where fast fission is predicted to set in, fast fission component was extracted in far-asymmetric mass region and interpreted as the mass diffusion following the Fokker-Planck equation. Anomalous charge dispersion widths in the corresponding mass region and a sudden increase of the whole mass distribution width at the critical energy were also observed to support the above result. The reaction time of fast fission deduced from the width and position of the mass distribution was 5×10⁻²¹s as well by taking into account the effect of neutron emission during the diffusion process, which turned out to be more than one order of magnitude longer than the corresponding life time of typical deep inelastic scattering but substantially short compared to ordinary fusion-fission life time. Evaluation of the driving potential for mass drift required dinuclear configuration be of an elongated or deformed form for fast fission in contrast to a more compact form for the deep-inelastic process. Received: 11 November 1997     

Photofission for the production of radioactive beams: Experimental data from an on-line measurement

A PARRNe 1 experiment (Production d'Atomes Radioactifs Riches en Neutrons) aimed at the production of neutron-rich radioactive noble gases produced by photofission has been performed at CERN. The LEP Pre-Injector (LPI) has been used to deliver a 50 MeV electron beam. The results obtained show clearly that the use of an electron beam to produce neutron-rich fission fragments for futur RNB facilities is an option that should not be neglected. Received: 20 July 2001 / Accepted: 5 June 2002 / Published online: 19 November 2002 RID="a" ID="a"e-mail: ibrahim@ipno.in2p3.fr Communicated by D. Guerreau     

Shell effects and pairing correlations in fission investigated with radioactive beams

The secondary-beam facility at GSI allows to produce a large variety of exotic nuclei at relativistic energies. This technique offers a unique oportunity to investigate systematically fission in inverse kinematics. In the present experiment, the fission properties of more than 70 different actinides and preactinides were investigated at low excitation energy. The elemental yields and kinetic energies of the fission residues present new signatures of shell structure and pairing correlations. Received: 1 May 2001 / Accepted: 4 December 2001     

Bimodality and charge splitting in fission of actinides

Within the scission point model the bimodality in fission of actinides is demonstrated to be related to different neighboring charge and mass splittings. This phenomenon is peculiar not only for the fission of heavy nuclei like ^256,258Fm and ^256,258,262No but also for fission of lighter actinides like ²³⁶U, ²⁴⁰Pu and ²⁵²Cf. The experiments are suggested to prove our interpretation of bimodality.