Fission fragment angular distributions for neutron fission of 232Th and their interpretation with a triple-humped fission barrier

The fission fragment angular distributions have been measured for the neutron fission of ²³²Th at a number of energies near the neutron threshold. An exhaustive search has been made for a set of transition states and barrier parameters that would simultaneously fit the angular distributions and reproduce quantitatively the structure seen in the neutron fission cross section. No satisfactory fit to both types of data could be obtained with a double-humped fission barrier. However, use of a triple-humped fission barrier does provide a reasonable fit to all the experimental data.     

The mass and kinetic energy distributions in the fission of 237Np, 232Th, 238U, 235U and 209Bi induced by 110 MeV electrons

Fission of ²³²Th, ²³⁷Np, ²⁰⁹Bi, ²³⁵U and ²³⁸U induced by 110 MeV electrons has been studied by means of surface barrier detectors. The resulting mass and kinetic energy distributions are presented. Comparison with the liquid drop model predictions shows reasonable agreement in the case of ²⁰⁹Bi. The data are analysed in terms of a two component model of fission and the mean total kinetic energies of the components are shown to depend linearly on $\text{Z}{}_1\text{Z}{}_2\text{(A}{}_1{}^{\mathrm{<mtext>1</mtext><mtext>3</mtext>}}\text{+ A}{}_2{}^{\mathrm{<mtext>1</mtext><mtext>3</mtext>}}\text{)}$. Interesting differences are found when the present results are compared with the recent photofission experiments of Areskoug et al. and features in both sets of data correlate with changes of fragment deformation implied by the calculations of Wilkins et al.     

Excitation of ΔL = 0 spin-flip transitions in the N = 28 isotones by 201 MeV proton inelastic scattering

The effect of the three-nucleon forces on the triton binding energy (E_T) is investigated. Two different types of three-nucleon potentials are considered, one involving 2π-exchange (V_ππF) and the other involving 2σ-exchange (V_SSF) which is an approximation to 3π exchange. Both V_ππF and V_SSF are constructed using the πN scattering amplitude extrapolated to off (pion) mass shell subject to PCAC. The contribution of V_ππF and V_SSF to e_t are calculated in the first-order perturbation using the triton wave function obtained by solving the Faddeev equations with the Reid soft-core potential. The Fujita-Miyazawa force is also investigated as a special case. We find that the effect of V_ππF on E_T is sensitive to the assumed pionic form factor and is small due to cancellation between the πN s-d wave and p-wave contributions. The effect of V_SSF is also found to be small.     

Multiparameter study of the long-range α-particles emitted in the thermal neutron induced fission of 235U

The correlations between the various parameters in the thermal neutron induced fission of ²³⁵U accompanied by long-range α-particles (LRA) have been measured employing a back-to-back gridded ionization chamber. Semiconductor detectors were placed symmetrically along the electric field direction of the chamber behind the thin windows of the collector plates for the measurement of the LRA energies. A distinguishing feature of the present method is that the angle between the fission fragments and the electric field direction (hence the direction of α-particle emission) is also determined electronically by the analysis of the coincident collector and grid pulses of the ionization chamber. About 5 × 10⁵ LRA-accompanied fission events and about 2 × 10⁶ binary fission events were recorded and analyzed to obtain a number of correlations of interest between the fragment mass, total kinetic energy, LRA energy and fragment-LRA angle. These experimental results are presented and discussed with regard to the emission mechanism of the LRA.     

Primary mass and charge distributions in the reaction of 900 MeV 132Xe ions with 197Au

A stacked foil technique and radioehemical yield measurements were combined in order to study the reaction of ¹³²Xe ions with ¹⁹⁷Au at 1.3 times the interaction barrier energy. Evidence is presented for a preferential exchange of neutrons for energy losses of up to 100 MeV. The same amount of energy damping is required for the development of a drift in the position of the centroid of the element distribution and for the evolution of full correlations in the exchange of neutrons and protons. The widths of the charge distributions at fixed mass asymmetry rise slowly as the degree of energy damping increases. This is reminiscent of classical statistical fluctuations, although the widths at large excitation energies have also been reproduced quantum-mechanically in terms of the zero-point motion of a collective isovector mode analogous to the giant dipole resonance in spherical nuclei. All results concerning the initial evolution of charge and mass distributions seem to be dominated by a hindrance of proton exchanges for large internuclear distances.     

Fission fragment yield distributions as a function of their excitation energies for 235U(nth, f)

The recent ²³⁵U(n_th, f) data taken at the Grenoble high flux reactor have been reanalysed to determine the fragment mass distributions as a function of their excitation energies $\text{E}{}^1$. The mass distributions for low $\text{E}{}^1$ values show the known fine structures. However, the distributions for $\text{E}{}^1\text{> 30}\text{MeV}$ do not show the fine structure reported by Newson. Beyond $\text{E}{}^1\text{≈ 35}\text{MeV}$, the most probable masses of distributions decrease monotonously as $\text{E}{}^1$ goes up.     

Intrinsic fragment spins generated in the reactions of 20Ne with 197Au and 238U at 12.6 MeV/nucleon

The average magnitude and alignment of the intrinsic spin of the heavy partner from the reaction of 252 MeV ²⁰Ne with ¹⁹⁷Au and ²³⁸U were determined as a function of Q-value. These spin values were extracted from sequential fission angular distributions obtained in coincidence with projectile-like products. For all Q-values a large out-of-plane anisotropy was observed, while for large negative Q-values an in-plane anisotropy was observed. A very large entrance-channel mass-asymmetry was chosen to provide a stringent test of equilibrium statistical model predictions for the spin alignment. The importance of determining the direction of the line-of-centers of the dinuclear system at scission is discussed. Large values of P_ZZ were deduced for all Q- values. P_XY was observed to be positive in the quasielastic region and negative in the deep-inelastic region. The extracted alignment data are compared to equilibrium statistical model calculations.     

Multiparameter study of 1H, 3H and 4He in fast neutron induced fission of 235U

The emission probabilities per fission of α-particles, tritons and protons have been measured in fast neutron induced fission of ²³⁵U. The measurements were carried out at neutron energies of 120, 180, 230 and 550 keV. AΔE-E semiconductor detector telescope was used to identify different light charged particles and the fission fragments were detected with an ionization chamber. The three-parameter data corresponding to the pulse heights from the ΔE-E detectors and the ion-chamber were recorded event by event on magnetic tape and were analyzed off-line by computer. No significant variation in the most probable energy ($\text{E}$) and the standard deviation (σ_E) of the energy spectra of different light charged particles with incident neutron energy was observed, although $\text{E}{}_{\mathrm{\alpha }}$ was seen to have a slightly higher value beyond E_n = 230 keV. The yield of α-particles in fission induced by neutrons of E_n ～ 200 keV was found to be higher by about 20 % than that in thermal neutron induced fission. The yields of tritons and protons were found to increase significantly with neutron energy.     

Electron induced fission of the 238U, 237Np, 239Pu and 243Am nuclei in the energy region 100–1000 MeV

Electrofission cross sections for ²³⁸U, ²³⁷Np, ²³⁹Pu and ²⁴³Am have been measured over the energy range 100–1000 MeV. Relative flssilities are evaluated. Analysis in terms of the virtual photon spectra technique involving a nuclear size effect is made. Contributions of various electronuclear excitation mechanisms in the large-energy region are discussed.     

Properties of the 2' and 2” states in 106, 112, 114Cd

Angular correlations have been measured between γ-rays from the 2 → 2 → 0 cascades in ^106,112,114Cd and the beam of 11.0 MeV α particles effecting Coulomb excitation. Multipole admixtures for the 2 → 2 transitions, as deduced from these correlations, when combined with earlier results establish their B(E2) and B(M1) values. For the transitions from the 1312 and 1208 keV states in ^112,114Cd the B(E2) values in single-particle units are 18±4 and 24±7. These values are typical for transitions from “two-quadrupole-phonon” states in this mass region whereas that of the 1718 keV transition in ¹⁰⁶Cd has the smaller value of 7.0±2.3. The B(E2) values of the 2 → 2 transitions in ^112,114Cd from the 1468 and 1363 keV states are < 0.3 single-particle units. The B(M1) values of all five transitions are ≈ 10^?2$\text{(}\text{e}\text{h}\text{?}\text{2Mc}\text{)}{}^2$.     

Investigation of 228Th in the (α, α'2n) reaction

The ²³⁰Th(α, α'2n)²²⁸Th reaction at E_α = 56 MeV was used to investigate states of moderately high spin in ²²⁸Th. Conversion electron and e^?-γ coincidence measurements were carried out, where the electrons were detected with an iron-free orange spectrometer. The ground state and low-lying K^π = 0^? rotational bands were observed up to I^π = 14⁺ and 13^?, respectively. The data are interpreted in terms of an ω-expansion for the ground-state rotational band, and an octupole vibrational band distorted by the Coriolis coupling to the K^π ? 1^? excitations for the K^π = 0^? band.     

Mass and kinetic energy distribution in cold fission of233U,235U and239Pu induced by thermal neutrons

The time-of-flight technique was used to measure the mass and kinetic energy distribution of fragments from fission of²³³U,²³⁵U and²³⁹Pu, induced by thermal neutrons at the Grenoble High Flux Reactor. The data array is presented as equal probability lines in the high kinetic energy regions. The fluctuations observed in those experimental lines are explained by a static scission configuration model, in which the most important influence comes from the Coulomb interaction energy between the two fragments. The highest values of total kinetic energy are obtained for fragmentations with heavy fragmentsZ=50–52,N=80–82 and light fragmentsZ=40–42,N=60–64.     

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.     

Excitation of ground and gamma bands in the 24Mg(α, α')24Mg reaction at 120 MeV

The cross sections for excitation of the members of the ground state (g.s.) band 0^?(g.s.), 2⁺ (1.37 MeV) and 4⁺ (4.12 MeV) and the γ-band 2⁺_γ (4.24 MeV), 3_γ⁺(5.24 MeV) and 4_γ⁺(6.01 MeV) in ²⁴Mg have been measured in inelastic α-scattering at E_α = 120 MeV. The excitation of these states are found to be well described by a coupled-channel calculation (CCBA) performed in the framework of the asymmetric rotational model. Two sets of parameters are found to give excellent fits to the data, but in both a direct coupling between the ground state and the 4⁺ state is found necessary.     

Charge dependence of nuclear forces in ΔJ = 0, ΔT = ±1 beta decays

By assuming the validity of the conserved vector current theory, the Fermi nuclear matrix elements M_F for the beta decays of ²⁰F, ⁴¹Ar, ⁴⁴Sc, ⁵²Mn and ⁵⁶Co which violate the ΔT = 0 selection rule are calculated theoretically in the jj-coupling, shell model. In these calculations, M_F is obtained by considering a short-range, charge-dependent, internucleon potential in addition to the usual Coulomb potential. Experimental values of M_F have been obtained by measuring the asymmetry parameter A appearing in the β-γ circular polarization correlation. Comparison between the theoretical and experimental values yields the result that the deviation of nuclear forces from exact charge independence is about a few per cent, while the deviation from charge symmetry is consistent with a value an order of magnitude smaller. If the conserved vector current theory is not valid, additional contributions to the Fermi nuclear matrix elements can arise from mesonic exchange currents. It is noted that such effects could be as large as those due to charge-dependent forces and would therefore cloud the above interpretation.     

Variation of total kinetic energy and mass distributions in the fusion-fission reaction of 16O,19F + 209Bi at near barrier energies

Fission fragment mass and energy distributions and their correlations have been measured for the ¹⁶O and ¹⁹F + ²⁰⁹Bi reactions over a wide range of excitation energies ( E ^* = 30-50 MeV). It is observed that in the case of ¹⁶O + ²⁰⁹Bi reaction, the average total fragment kinetic energy, <TKE> is nearly independent of the bombarding energy. However, in the case of ¹⁹F + ²⁰⁹Bi reaction, the average total kinetic energy of the fission fragments shows a peaking behaviour near the barrier. The variation in <TKE> at near barrier energies in the ¹⁹F + ²⁰⁹Bi system seems to be correlated with corresponding strong variation in the variance of the fragment mass distribution. The present results may imply certain dynamical effects leading to compact scission configurations in the fission of ¹⁹F + ²⁰⁹Bi system at near barrier bombarding energies. Received: 9 April 2001 / Accepted: 26 May 2001     

Observation of deuteron D-state and compound nucleus effects in (d,p) reactions on 46Ti and 52Cr with a polarized deuteron beam

The cross section and the vector and tensor analyzing powers have been measured for ⁴⁶Ti(d, p)⁴⁷Ti at deuteron energies of 6 and 10 MeV and ⁵²Cr(d, p)⁵³Cr at 6 MeV. Transitions were observed to the states at E_x=0.159, 1.549 and 1.793 MeV in ⁴⁷Ti and the states at E_x=0.0, 0.564, 1.006 and 2.321 MeV in ⁵³Cr. In addition, the cross sections and vector analyzing powers for deuteron elastic scattering were measured for the same targets and deuteron energies and compared to optical model calculations. The choice of optical parameters for the DWBA analysis of the (d, p) reactions is discussed. Calculations made with the DWBA method show that the deuteron D-state must be included to reproduce even qualitatively the (d, p) tensor analyzing power measurements. The j-dependence of the tensor analyzing power T₂₂ is discussed. The validity of the local energy approximation (which was used to incorporate the deuteron D-state into the DWBA calculations) is evaluated by comparison to finite range calculations. The contribution of compound nucleus reactions to the measured cross sections and analyzing powers was investigated. In order to determine the compound cross section, the Ericson fluctuations in excitation functions of cross section and vector analyzing power were measured from 5 to 7 MeV on each target. The formulas used to calculate the polarization observables from the Hauser-Feshbach theory are presented.     

Analysis of the Δv = 0 sequence of the β(cΦ - aΔ) system of the TiO molecule

Rotational analyses have been performed on the emission spectra of the 0-0, 1-1, 2-2, and 3-3 bands of the β system (c¹Φ - a¹Δ) of the TiO molecule, excited in a microwave discharge through a mixture of helium, oxygen and TiCl₄ vapor. Rotational constants were obtained for all the bands from which the following equilibrium constants were derived. Be^‘=0.52301±0.00008 cm⁻, αe^‘=0.00313±0.0006 cm⁻, re⁻=1.6391±0.0001 AHigher order constants, D_v and H_v, were calculated for the various vibrational levels.     

Excitation of ΔL = 1 resonances in the (p,n) reaction on Zr, Sn, Ce and Pb at Ep = 41 MeV

A broad peak was systematically observed at about 10 MeV above the Gamow-Teller resonance in the ⁹⁰Zr, ¹²⁰Sn, ¹⁴⁰Ce, ²⁰⁸Pb (p,n) reactions at E_p = 41 MeV. The angular distribution shapes of these peaks support the interpretation that they they correspond to ΔL = 1 state. The data are compared with TDA-DWBA calculations.     

Spectra and multiplicities of n, p, d, t, K, π from antiproton annihilation in Cu and U

Inclusive energy spectra of neutrons, protons, deuterons, tritons, charged kaons and pions following antiproton annihilation at rest in copper and uranium have been measured. The determined multiplicity charged kaons is compared to recent measurements and indicates an enhancement of strangeness production. Ratios of directly emitted neutrons and protons have been determined for copper and uranium to 3.0±0.6 and 3.2±0.5, respectively.