Guadilla, V. et al, Tain, J. L., Algora, A., Agramunt, J., Jordan, D., Monserrate, M., et al. (2019). Total absorption gamma-ray spectroscopy of the beta-delayed neutron emitters I-137 and Rb-95. Phys. Rev. C, 100(4), 044305–17pp.
Abstract: The decays of the beta-delayed neutron emitters( 137)I and Rb-95 have been studied with the total absorption gamma-ray spectroscopy technique. The purity of the beams provided by the JYFLTRAP Penning trap at the ion guide isotope separator on-line facility in Jyvaskyla allowed us to carry out a campaign of isotopically pure measurements with the decay total absorption gamma-ray spectrometer, a segmented detector composed of 18 NaI(T1) modules. The contamination coming from the interaction of neutrons with the spectrometer has been carefully studied, and we have tested the use of time differences between prompt gamma rays and delayed neutron interactions to eliminate this source of contamination. Due to the sensitivity of our spectrometer, we have found a significant amount of beta intensity to states above the neutron separation energy that deexcite by gamma rays, comparable to the neutron emission probability. The competition between gamma deexcitation and neutron emission has been compared with Hauser-Feshbach calculations, and it can be understood as a nuclear structure effect. In addition, we have studied the impact of the beta-intensity distributions determined in this work on reactor decay heat and reactor antineutrino spectrum summation calculations. The robustness of our results is demonstrated by a thorough study of uncertainties and with the reproduction of the spectra of the individual modules and the module-multiplicity gated spectra. This work represents the state-of-the-art of our analysis methodology for segmented total absorption spectrometers.
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n_TOF Collaboration(Gawlik, A. et al), Domingo-Pardo, C., Tain, J. L., & Tarifeño-Saldivia, A. (2019). Measurement of the Ge-70(n, gamma) cross section up to 300 keV at the CERN n_TOF facility. Phys. Rev. C, 100(4), 045804–10pp.
Abstract: Neutron capture data on intermediate mass nuclei are of key importance to nucleosynthesis in the weak component of the slow neutron capture processes, which occurs in massive stars. The (n,gamma) cross section on Ge-70, which is mainly produced in the s process, was measured at the neutron time-of-flight facility n_TOF at CERN. Resonance capture kernels were determined up to 40 keV neutron energy and average cross sections up to 300 keV. Stellar cross sections were calculated from kT = 5 keV to kT = 100 keV and are in very good agreement with a previous measurement by Walter and Beer (1985) and recent evaluations. Average cross sections are in agreement with Walter and Beer (1985) over most of the neutron energy range covered, while they are systematically smaller for neutron energies above 150 keV. We have calculated isotopic abundances produced in s-process environments in a 25 solar mass star for two initial metallicities (below solar and close to solar). While the low metallicity model reproduces best the solar system germanium isotopic abundances, the close to solar model shows a good global match to solar system abundances in the range of mass numbers A = 60-80.
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n_TOF Collaboration(Stamatopoulos, A. et al), Domingo-Pardo, C., Tain, J. L., & Tarifeño-Saldivia, A. (2020). Investigation of the Pu-240(n, f) reaction at the n_TOF/EAR2 facility in the 9 meV-6 MeV range. Phys. Rev. C, 102(1), 014616–23pp.
Abstract: Background: Nuclear waste management is considered amongst the major challenges in the field of nuclear energy. A possible means of addressing this issue is waste transmutation in advanced nuclear systems, whose operation requires a fast neutron spectrum. In this regard, the accurate knowledge of neutron-induced reaction cross sections of several (minor) actinide isotopes is essential for design optimization and improvement of safety margins of such systems. One such case is Pu-240, due to its accumulation in spent nuclear fuel of thermal reactors and its usage in fast reactor fuel. The measurement of the Pu-240(n, f) cross section was previously attempted at the CERN nTOF facility EAR1 measuring station using the time-of-flight technique. Due to the low amount of available material and the given flux at EAR1, the measurement had to last several months to achieve a sufficient statistical accuracy. This long duration led to detector deterioration due to the prolonged exposure to the high alpha activity of the fission foils, therefore the measurement could not be successfully completed. Purpose: It is aimed to determine whether it is feasible to study neutron-induced fission at nTOF/EAR2 and provide data on the Pu-240(n, f) reaction in energy regions requested for applications. Methods: The study of the Pu-240(n, f) reaction was made at a new experimental area (EAR2) with a shorter flight path which delivered on average 30 times higher flux at fast neutron energies. This enabled the measurement to be performed much faster, thus limiting the exposure of the detectors to the intrinsic activity of the fission foils. The experimental setup was based on microbulk Micromegas detectors and the time-of-flight data were analyzed with an optimized pulse-shape analysis algorithm. Special attention was dedicated to the estimation of the non-negligible counting loss corrections with the development of a new methodology, and other corrections were estimated via Monte Carlo simulations of the experimental setup. Results: This new measurement of the Pu-240(n, f) cross section yielded data from 9 meV up to 6 MeV incident neutron energy and fission resonance kernels were extracted up to 10 keV. Conclusions: Neutron-induced fission of high activity samples can be successfully studied at the n_TOF/EAR2 facility at CERN covering a wide range of neutron energies, from thermal to a few MeV.
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n_TOF Collaboration(Balibrea-Correa, J. et al), Domingo-Pardo, C., Giubrone, G., Tain, J. L., & Tarifeño-Saldivia, A. (2020). Measurement of the alpha ratio and (n, gamma) cross section of U-235 from 0.2 to 200 eV at n_TOF. Phys. Rev. C, 102(4), 044615–18pp.
Abstract: We measured the neutron capture-to-fission cross-section ratio (alpha ratio) and the capture cross section of U-235 between 0.2 and 200 eV at the nTOF facility at CERN. The simultaneous measurement of neutron-induced capture and fission rates was performed by means of the nTOF BaF2 Total Absorption Calorimeter (TAC), used for detection of gamma rays, in combination with a set of micromegas detectors used as fission tagging detectors. The energy dependence of the capture cross section was obtained with help of the Li-6(n, t) standard reaction determining the n_TOF neutron fluence; the well-known integral of the U-235(n, f) cross section between 7.8 and 11 eV was then used for its absolute normalization. The alpha ratio, obtained with slightly higher statistical fluctuations, was determined directly, without need for any reference cross section. To perform the analysis of this measurement we developed a new methodology to correct the experimentally observed effect that the probabilities of detecting a fission reaction in the TAC and the micromegas detectors are not independent. The results of this work have been used in a new evaluation of U-235 performed within the scope of the Collaborative International Evaluated Library Organisation (CIELO) Project, and are consistent with the ENDF/B-VIII.0 and JEFF-3.3 capture cross sections below 4 eV and above 100 eV. However, the measured capture cross section is on average 10% larger between 4 and 100 eV.
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Guadilla, V. et al, Tain, J. L., Algora, A., Agramunt, J., Jordan, D., Monserrate, M., et al. (2020). Determination of beta-decay ground state feeding of nuclei of importance for reactor applications. Phys. Rev. C, 102(6), 064304–12pp.
Abstract: In beta-decay studies the determination of the decay probability to the ground state (g.s.) of the daughter nucleus often suffers from large systematic errors. The difficulty of the measurement is related to the absence of associated delayed gamma-ray emission. In this work we revisit the 4 pi gamma – beta method proposed by Greenwood and collaborators in the 1990s, which has the potential to overcome some of the experimental difficulties. Our interest is driven by the need to determine accurately the beta-intensity distributions of fission products that contribute significantly to the reactor decay heat and to the antineutrinos emitted by reactors. A number of such decays have large g.s. branches. The method is relevant for nuclear structure studies as well. Pertinent formulas are revised and extended to the special case of beta-delayed neutron emitters, and the robustness of the method is demonstrated with synthetic data. We apply it to a number of measured decays that serve as test cases and discuss the features of the method. Finally, we obtain g.s. feeding intensities with reduced uncertainty for four relevant decays that will allow future improvements in antineutrino spectrum and decay heat calculations using the summation method.
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n_TOF Collaboration(Dietz, M. et al), Domingo-Pardo, C., & Tain, J. L. (2021). Measurement of the Ge-72(n, y) cross section over a wide neutron energy range at the CERN n_TOF facility. Phys. Rev. C, 103(4), 045809–8pp.
Abstract: The Ge-72(n, gamma) cross section was measured for neutron energies up to 300 keV at the neutron time-of-flight facility n_TOF (CERN), Geneva, for the first time covering energies relevant to heavy-element synthesis in stars. The measurement was performed at the high-resolution beamline EAR-1, using an isotopically enriched (GeO2)-Ge-72 sample. The prompt capture gamma rays were detected with four liquid scintillation detectors, optimized for low neutron sensitivity. We determined resonance capture kernels up to a neutron energy of 43 keV, and averaged cross sections from 43 to 300 keV. Maxwellian-averaged cross section values were calculated from kT = 5 to 100 keV, with uncertainties between 3.2% and 7.1%. The new results significantly reduce uncertainties of abundances produced in the slow neutron capture process in massive stars.
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n_TOF Collaboration(Lederer-Woods, C. et al.), Domingo-Pardo, C., & Tain, J. L. (2021). Destruction of the cosmic gamma-ray emitter Al-26 in massive stars: Study of the key Al-26(n, p) reaction. Phys. Rev. C, 104(2), L022803–7pp.
Abstract: The Al-26(n, p) Mg-26 reaction is the key reaction impacting on the abundances of the cosmic gamma-ray emitter Al-26 produced in massive stars and impacts on the potential pollution of the early solar system with Al-26 by asymptotic giant branch stars. We performed a measurement of the Al-26(n, p) Mg-26 cross section at the high-flux beam line EAR-2 at the n_TOF facility (CERN). We report resonance strengths for eleven resonances, nine being measured for the first time, while there is only one previous measurement for the other two. Our resonance strengths are significantly lower than the only previous values available. Our cross-section data range to 150 keV neutron energy, which is sufficient for a reliable determination of astrophysical reactivities up to 0.5 GK stellar temperature.
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n_TOF Collaboration(Lederer-Woods, C. et al.), Domingo-Pardo, C., & Tain, J. L. (2021). Destruction of the cosmic gamma-ray emitter Al-26 in massive stars: Study of the key Al-26(n, alpha) reaction. Phys. Rev. C, 104(3), L032803–6pp.
Abstract: Neutron destruction reactions of the cosmic gamma-ray emitter Al-26 are of importance to determine the amount of Al-26 ejected into our galaxy by supernova explosions and for Al-26 production in asymptotic giant branch stars. We performed a new measurement of the Al-26(n, alpha) reaction up to 160-keV neutron energy at the neutron time-of-flight facilities n_TOF at CERN and GELINA at EC-JRC. We provide strengths for ten resonances, six of them for the first time. We use our data to calculate astrophysical reactivities for stellar temperatures up to 0.7 GK. Our results resolve a discrepancy between the two previous direct measurements of this reaction, and indicate higher stellar destruction rates than the most recently recommended reactivity.
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n_TOF Collaboration(Gawlik, A. et al), Domingo-Pardo, C., Tain, J. L., & Tarifeño-Saldivia, A. (2021). Measurement of the Ge-76(n, gamma) cross section at the n_TOF facility at CERN. Phys. Rev. C, 104(4), 044610–7pp.
Abstract: The Ge-76(n, gamma) reaction has been measured at the n_TOF facility at CERN via the time-of-flight technique. Neutron capture cross sections on Ge-76 are of interest to a variety of low-background experiments, such as neutrinoless double beta decay searches, and to nuclear astrophysics. We have determined resonance capture kernels up to 52 keV neutron energy and used the new data to calculate Maxwellian-averaged neutron capture cross sections for k(B)T values of 5 to 100 keV.
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n_TOF Collaboration(Tagliente, G. et al), Domingo-Pardo, C., Giubrone, G., Tain, J. L., & Tarifeño-Saldivia, A. (2022). Zr-92(n, gamma) and (n,tot) measurements at the GELINA and n_TOF facilities. Phys. Rev. C, 105(2), 025805–14pp.
Abstract: Background: Stellar nucleosynthesis of elements heavier than iron is driven by neutron capture processes. Zr-92 is positioned at a strategic point along the slow nucleosynthesis path, given its proximity to the neutron magic number N = 50 and its position at the matching region between the weak and main slow processes. Purpose: In parallel with recent improved astronomical data, the extraction of accurate Maxwellian averaged cross sections (MACSs) derived from a more complete and accurate set of resonance parameters should allow for a better understanding of the stellar conditions at which nucleosynthesis takes place. Methods: Transmission and capture cross section measurements using enriched Zr-92 metallic samples were performed at the time-of flight facilities GELINA of JRC-Geel (BE) and nTOF of CERN (CH). The neutron beam passing through the samples was investigated in transmission measurements at GELINA using a Li-glass scintillator. The gamma rays emitted during the neutron capture reactions were detected by C6D6 detectors at both GELINA and nTOF. Results: Resonance parameters of individual resonances up to 81 keV were extracted from a combined resonance shape analysis of experimental transmissions and capture yields. For the majority of the resonances the parity was determined from an analysis of the transmission data obtained with different sample thicknesses. Average resonance parameters were calculated. Conclusions: Maxwellian averaged cross sections were extracted from resonances observed up to 81 keV. The MACS for kT = 30 keV is fully consistent with experimental data reported in the literature. The MACSs for kT less than or similar to 15 keV are in good agreement with those derived from the ENDF/B-VIII.0 library and recommended in the KADoNTS database. For kT higher than 30 keV differences are observed. A comparison with MACSs obtained with the cross sections recommended in the JEFF-3.3 and JENDL-4.0 libraries shows discrepancies even for kT less than or similar to 15 keV.
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