scholarly journals What can we learn from (n,xnγ) cross sections about reaction mechanism and nuclear structure?

2020 ◽  
Vol 239 ◽  
pp. 01023
Author(s):  
Maëlle Kerveno ◽  
Marc Dupuis ◽  
Catalin Borcea ◽  
Marian Boromiza ◽  
Roberto Capote ◽  
...  

Inelastic (n,n') cross section is a key quantity to accurately simulate reactor cores, and its precision was shown to need significant improvements. To bypass the experimental difficulties to detect neutrons from (n,xn) reaction and to discriminate inelastically scattered neutrons from those following the fission process in case of fissile targets, an indirect but yet powerful method is used: the prompt γ-ray spectroscopy. Along this line, our collaboration has developed the GRAPhEME setup, optimized for actinides, at the GELINA facility to measure partial (n,xn γ) cross sections, from which the total (n,xn) cross section can be inferred. (n,xn γ) experiments with actinides are still particularly challenging, as their structure presents a high level density at low energy, and the competing neutron-induced fission reaction contaminates the γ-energy distribution. New precise measurements of the partial (n,xn γ) cross sections provide a stringent test to theoretical model and offer a way to improve them. This is a path to a better determination of the total inelastic scattering cross sections. In this contribution we discuss modeling aspects of the 238U and 182W (n,n' γ) reactions, also measured with GRAPhEME, using the three codes TALYS, EMPIRE and CoH. We will highlight the needed/expected improvements on reaction modeling and nuclear structure input.

The total scattering cross-sections of beryllium and aluminium have been measured by a transmission method for neutrons of energies between 0∙35 and 0∙55 MeV and 1∙8 and 4∙0 MeV. Resonances have been found in the scattering by beryllium at a neutron energy of 2∙6 MeV and in the scattering by aluminium at neutron energies of 2∙4 and 2∙9 MeV. It has been shown that the cross-section for the reaction 9 Be ( n , α ) 6 He also has a resonance at 2∙6 MeV, and an accurate determination of the cross-section for this reaction has been made. A discussion is given of the properties of the energy level in 10 Be responsible for the resonances in the case of beryllium.


Author(s):  
R.D. Leapman ◽  
P. Rez ◽  
D.F. Mayers

Microanalysis by EELS has been developing rapidly and though the general form of the spectrum is now understood there is a need to put the technique on a more quantitative basis (1,2). Certain aspects important for microanalysis include: (i) accurate determination of the partial cross sections, σx(α,ΔE) for core excitation when scattering lies inside collection angle a and energy range ΔE above the edge, (ii) behavior of the background intensity due to excitation of less strongly bound electrons, necessary for extrapolation beneath the signal of interest, (iii) departures from the simple hydrogenic K-edge seen in L and M losses, effecting σx and complicating microanalysis. Such problems might be approached empirically but here we describe how computation can elucidate the spectrum shape.The inelastic cross section differential with respect to energy transfer E and momentum transfer q for electrons of energy E0 and velocity v can be written as


Author(s):  
P.A. Crozier

Absolute inelastic scattering cross sections or mean free paths are often used in EELS analysis for determining elemental concentrations and specimen thickness. In most instances, theoretical values must be used because there have been few attempts to determine experimental scattering cross sections from solids under the conditions of interest to electron microscopist. In addition to providing data for spectral quantitation, absolute cross section measurements yields useful information on many of the approximations which are frequently involved in EELS analysis procedures. In this paper, experimental cross sections are presented for some inner-shell edges of Al, Cu, Ag and Au.Uniform thin films of the previously mentioned materials were prepared by vacuum evaporation onto microscope cover slips. The cover slips were weighed before and after evaporation to determine the mass thickness of the films. The estimated error in this method of determining mass thickness was ±7 x 107g/cm2. The films were floated off in water and mounted on Cu grids.


2008 ◽  
Vol 42 (1) ◽  
pp. 69-84 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. R. Stewart ◽  
P. P. Deen ◽  
K. H. Andersen ◽  
H. Schober ◽  
J.-F. Barthélémy ◽  
...  

The technique of longitudinal neutron polarization analysis on a multi-detector neutron spectrometer (so-called `xyz'-polarization analysis) is presented. This technique allows the simultaneous and unambiguous determination of the nuclear, magnetic and nuclear spin-incoherent scattering cross sections as a function of both momentum transfer and energy transfer. The implementation ofxyz-polarization analysis on the recently upgraded D7 spectrometer at the Institut Laue–Langevin in Grenoble is described. Several examples of neutron polarization analysis studies of disordered systems on D7 are given, illustrating the valuable information which can be retrieved from the analysis of neutron diffraction patterns between the Bragg peaks.


2020 ◽  
Vol 27 ◽  
pp. 106
Author(s):  
Sotirios Chasapoglou ◽  
A. Tsantiri ◽  
A. Kalamara ◽  
M. Kokkoris ◽  
V. Michalopoulou ◽  
...  

The accurate knowledge of neutron-induced fission cross sections in actinides, is of great importance when it comes to the design of fast nuclear reactors, as well as accelerator driven systems. Specifically for the 232Th(n,f) case, the existing experimental datasets are quite discrepant in both the low and high energy MeV regions, thus leading to poor evaluations, a fact that in turn implies the need for more accurate measurements.In the present work, the total cross section of the 232Th(n,f) reaction has been measured relative to the 235U(n,f) and 238U(n,f) ones, at incident energies of 7.2, 8.4, 9.9 MeV and 14.8, 16.5, 17.8 MeV utilizing the 2H(d,n) and 3H(d,n) reactions respectively, which generally yield quasi-monoenergetic neutron beams. The experiments were performed at the 5.5 MV Tandem accelerator laboratory of N.C.S.R. “Demokritos”, using a Micromegas detector assembly and an ultra thin ThO2 target, especially prepared for fission measurements at n_ToF, CERN during its first phase of operations, using the painting technique. The masses of all actinide samples were determined via α-spectroscopy. The produced fission yields along with the results obtained from activation foils were studied in parallel, using both the NeusDesc [1] and MCNP5 [2] codes, taking into consideration competing nuclear reactions (e.g. deuteron break up), along with neutron elastic and inelastic scattering with the beam line, detector housing and experimental hall materials. Since the 232Th(n,f) reaction has a relatively low energy threshold and can thus be affected by parasitic neutrons originating from a variety of sources, the thorough characterization of the neutron flux impinging on the targets is a prerequisite for accurate cross-section measurements, especially in the absence of time-of-flight capabilities. Additional Monte-Carlo simulations were also performed coupling both GEF [3] and FLUKA [4] codes for the determination of the detection efficiency.


2019 ◽  
Vol 23 ◽  
pp. 47
Author(s):  
A. Kalamara ◽  
M. Serris ◽  
A. Spiliotis ◽  
D. Sigalos ◽  
N. Patronis ◽  
...  

Cross sections of the 174Hf(n,2n)173Hf and 176Hf(n,2n)175Hf reactions have been experimentally determined relative to the 27Al(n,α)24Na reference reaction at incident neutron energies of 15.3 and 17.1 MeV by means of the activation technique. The irradiations were carried out at the 5 MV tandem T11/25 Accelerator Laboratory of NCSR "Demokritos" with monoenergetic neutron beams provided via the 3H(d,n)4He reaction, using a new Ti-tritiated target of 373 GBq activity. In the determination of the 176Hf(n,2n)175Hf reaction cross section the contamination of the 174Hf(n,γ)175Hf and 177Hf(n,3n)175Hf reactions has been taken into account. Moreover, the neutron beam energy has been studied by means of Monte Carlo simulation codes and the neutron flux has been determined via the 27Al(n,α)24Na reference reaction.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas R. Lewis ◽  
Juan Carlos Gómez Martin ◽  
Mark A. Blitz ◽  
Carlos A. Cuevas ◽  
John M. C. Plane ◽  
...  

Abstract. Iodine oxides (IxOy) play an important role in the atmospheric chemistry of iodine. They are initiators of new particle formation events in the coastal and polar boundary layer and act as iodine reservoirs in tropospheric ozone-depleting chemical cycles. Despite the importance of the aforementioned processes, the photochemistry of these molecules has not been studied in detail previously. Here, we report the first determination of the absorption cross sections of IxOy, x = 2, 3, 5, y = 1–12 at λ = 355 nm by combining pulsed laser photolysis of I2/O3 gas mixtures in air with time-resolved photo-ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry, using NO2 actinometry for signal calibration. The oxides selected for absorption cross section determinations are those presenting the strongest signals in the mass spectra, where signals containing 4 iodine atoms are absent. The method is validated by measuring the absorption cross section of IO at 355 nm, σ355 nm, IO = (1.2 ± 0.1) ×  10–18 cm2, which is found to be in good agreement with the most recent literature. The results obtained are: σ355 nm, I2O3 


1970 ◽  
Vol 25 (11) ◽  
pp. 1617-1626 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. Frank ◽  
M. Neiger ◽  
H.-P. Popp

Abstract A wall stabilized low-current cylindric arc was used to produce the radiation of the negative Bromine-ions. The radiation consists of an affinity-continuum with a long-wave threshold of 3682 Å, yielding an electron affinity for Bromine of 3.366 eV, and of an intense electron-atom Bremsstrahlung in the visible. Intensity measurements of the continua allow the determination of the photo-detachment-and attachment-cross-sections of Bromine and also the determination of the mean elastic cross-section of electrons against Bromine atoms.


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