Observation of orbital magnetic dipole strength in the actinide nuclei 232Th and 238U

Precise experimental information has been obtained on the distribution of orbital M1 strength using high resolution nuclear resonance fluorescence and inelastic electron scattering. We report on the first observation of those J^π = 1⁺ states in actinide nuclei that are excited by the M1 scissors mode. The M1 strength induced through the convection current part of the M1 operator is closely centered around 2 MeV in both nuclei. The observed spreading of strength is again of the same magnitude that has been observed already in rare-earth nuclei.     

Investigation of the <Superscript>232</Superscript>Th and <Superscript>238</Superscript>U photofission

The average angular momenta of the ⁸⁴Br, ¹³²Sb, ¹³³Te, and ¹³⁵Xe fission fragments, produced as a result of ²³²Th and ²³⁸U photofission by bremmsstrahlung γ photons with an endpoint energy of 8.5 MeV, have been determined by measuring the isomeric yield ratios. The experimental isomeric yield ratios have been calculated taking into account the contribution from β decay of isobaric nuclei to the yields of isotopes studied.     

Isomeric yield ratios of <Superscript>238</Superscript>U and <Superscript>232</Superscript>Th photofission products

The isomeric ratios of fragments of photofission of ²³⁸U and ²³²Th have been determined experimentally at the bremsstrahlung end-point of 50 and 3500 MeV. Results of measurements enabled us to estimate the mean angular momenta of primary fragments and to compare them with the published data.     

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     

Synthesis of superheavy nuclei with <Superscript>238</Superscript>U target

The production of superheavy nuclei with Z=108-116 via hot fusion reactions of the neutron-rich projectiles with 238U target is systematically studied.The results show that the production cross sections of superheavy nuclei do not decrease monotonously as the atomic number Z increasing.The cross sections of the superheavy nuclei at Z = 112 and 115 are enhanced as compared with the whole Z-trend in synthesis of the superheavy nuclei,which clearly illustrates that the reactions with large negative Q-value and...     

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.     

Prompt-fission-neutrons spectra of <Superscript>238</Superscript>U

The spectra of prompt fission neutrons from the reaction ²³⁸U(n, F) for neutrons of energy in the range E _n ≤ 20 MeV are interpreted within the statistical model. It is shown that exclusive spectra of prefission neutrons emitted in (n, xnf) reactions play a decisive role in describing the observed promptfission-neutron spectra and determine the average energies of prompt-fission neutrons. The dependence of the effect of prefission neutrons on the fissility of a target nucleus is demonstrated for the reactions ²³²Th(n, F), ²³⁵U(n, F), and ²³⁹Pu(n, F).     

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.     

Preliminary results of calculations for heavy-water nuclear-power-plant reactors employing <Superscript>235</Superscript>U, <Superscript>233</Superscript>U,and <Superscript>232</Superscript>Th as a fuel and meeting requirements of a nonproliferation of nuclear weapons

A physical design is developed for a gas-cooled heavy-water nuclear reactor intended for a project of a nuclear power plant. As a fuel, the reactor would employ thorium with a small admixture of enriched uranium that contains not more than 20% of ²³⁵U. It operates in the open-cycle mode involving ²³³U production from thorium and its subsequent burnup. The reactor meets the conditions of a nonproliferation of nuclear weapons: the content of fissionable isotopes in uranium at all stages of the process, including the final one, is below the threshold for constructing an atomic bomb, the amount of product plutonium being extremely small.     

Fission of <Superscript>232</Superscript>Th in a spallation neutron field

The spatial distributions of thorium fission reaction rate in a spallation neutron field of thick lead target bombarded by protons or deuterons with energy between 1.0 and 3.7 GeV were measured. Approximately a linear dependence of the thorium fission rate on the beam energy is observed. The mean fission cross section of ²³²Th 〈σ _f 〉 ≈ 123 mb and it does not depend on energy and type of the beam particles.     

Electrofission of238U and232Th

Absolute electrofission cross sections for²³⁸U and²³²Th in the energy regionE _e =7 ?65 MeV and fission fragment angular distributions forE _e =7–30 MeV have been measured. The angular distributions show strong anisotropies for low energies. The relative dipole and quadrupole contributions as a function of excitation energy are discussed in terms of the low lying fission transition states above the fission barriers. The cross sections show significant deviations from the results of some earlier measurements, in particular in the energy region above the giant dipole resonance. From the difficulties of absolute electrofission cross section measurements and the ambiguities in their interpretation it is concluded that by this time the quantitative analysis of electrofission cross sections with respect to the contributions of the giant quadrupole resonances to the fission decay channel should be regarded as rather tentative.     

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.     

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

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

Elastic and inelastic4He-scattering on208Pb,232Th and234, 236, 238U

The angular distributions of the elastic⁴He-scattering on²⁰⁸Pb and the elastic and inelastic⁴He-scattering on²³²Th and^234,236,238U at \(E_{4_{He} } = 50 MeV\) were measured between 20° and 60°. The⁴He-particles were detected with a position sensitive detector in the focal plane of a split-pole spectrograph. The aim was to get data to determine the deformation parameters of the equilibrium states by coupled channels calculations.     

Symmetric and asymmetric modes of <Superscript>232</Superscript>Th photofission at intermediate energies

Yields of fragments originating from ²³²Th photofission were measured at bremsstrahlungphoton endpoint energies of 50 and 3500 MeV. Charge and mass distributions of fission fragments were analyzed. On the basis of the model of multimode fission, symmetric and asymmetric channels are singled out in ²³²Th photofission at intermediate energies. This decomposition made it possible to estimate the contributions of various fission components and the fissility of ²³²Th.     

Mechanism of <Superscript>238</Superscript>U disintegration induced by relativistic particles

In heavy-nucleus disintegration induced by a relativistic projectile particle, the production of collinear massive fragments accompanied by numerous charged particles and neutrons is explained in terms of the mechanism of projectile-momentum compensation due to the emission of a particle whose mass is greater than the projectile mass.     

Neutron single-particle structure of <Superscript>48</Superscript>Ca, <Superscript>50</Superscript>Ti, <Superscript>52</Superscript>Cr, <Superscript>54</Superscript>Fe,and <Superscript>56</Superscript>Ni nuclei

The change in the neutron single-particle structure of (1f?2p)-shell magic nuclei near the Fermi energy with an increase in the number of protons in the 1f _7/2 subshell from 0 for ⁴⁸Ca to 8 for ⁵⁶Ni has been investigated. Good agreement of the experimental and estimated values of the single-particle energies E _nlj of the bound states of neutrons in these nuclei with the results of calculations within the dispersive optical model is obtained.     

The beta-decay scheme of <Superscript>232</Superscript>Fr and the K = 0 ground-state band in <Superscript>232</Superscript>Ra

The beta-decay of ²³²Fr to excited states in ²³²Ra has been studied using gamma-gamma coincidence detection combined with the isotope separator on-line technique at the ISOLDE PSB facility at CERN. Earlier findings are confirmed and three new gamma lines are reported. In addition to the beta-decay characteristics of ²³²Fr, the K = 0 ground-state band in ²³²Ra is identified. A yield survey of neutron-rich Fr isotopes, important also for the EURISOL project, is incorporated.Received: 20 April 2004, Revised: 12 May 2004, Published online: 13 July 2004PACS: 21.10.-k Properties of nuclei; nuclear energy levels - 23.20.-g Electromagnetic transitions - 28.60. + s Isotope separation and enrichment - 29.25.Rm Sources of radioactive nuclei     

Structure of high-spin states in 232Th, 234U and 236U

Multiple Coulomb excitation of ²³²Th, ²³⁴U and ²³⁶U by 5.3 $\text{MeV}\text{u}$²⁰⁸Pb ions has been studied using γ-ray spectroscopy. Excitation of ground-band levels is observed up to spin I^π = 26⁺ (tentatively 28 ⁺) in ²³²Th and ²³⁴U and I^π = 28⁺ (tentatively 30⁺)in ²³⁶U. High-spin levels of the K^π = 0^? octupole-vibrational bands are also observed in these nuclei. The measured transition energies between ground-band levels suggest that at $\text{I≈ 28}\text{h}\text{?}$ several units of angular momentum are carried by single particles aligned with the rotation axis.This result can be understood in terms of a super band built on aligned two-quasiparticle configurations which crosses the ground-state rotational band at a rotational frequency of $\text{h}\text{?}\text{ω ? 0.25}\text{MeV}\text{(I ? 28}\text{h}\text{?}\text{)}$. The E2 transition-matrix elements deduced from the experimental γ-yields agree within their errors with the rigid-rotor predictions up to the highest spins observed.The experimental results are discussed using the concept of rotation alignment and are compared with predictions of the rotation-vibration model and the interacting-boson model.