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Martinez, T. et al, Agramunt, J., Algora, A., Domingo-Pardo, C., Jordan, M. D., Rubio, B., et al. (2014). MONSTER: a TOF Spectrometer for beta-delayed Neutron Spectroscopy. Nucl. Data Sheets, 120, 78–80.
Abstract: beta-delayed neutron (DN) data, including emission probabilities, P-n, and energy spectrum, play an important role in our understanding of nuclear structure, nuclear astrophysics and nuclear technologies. A MOdular Neutron time-of-flight SpectromeTER (MONSTER) is being built for the measurement of the neutron energy spectra and branching ratios. The TOF spectrometer will consist of one hundred liquid scintillator cells covering a significant solid angle. The MONSTER design has been optimized by using Monte Carlo (MC) techniques. The response function of the MONSTER cell has been characterized with mono-energetic neutron beams and compared to dedicated MC simulations.
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Dimitriou, P. et al, Tain, J. L., & Algora, A. (2021). Development of a Reference Database for Beta-Delayed Neutron Emission. Nucl. Data Sheets, 173, 144–238.
Abstract: Beta-delayed neutron emission is important for nuclear structure and astrophysics as well as for reactor applications. Significant advances in nuclear experimental techniques in the past two decades have led to a wealth of new measurements that remain to be incorporated in the databases. We report on a coordinated effort to compile and evaluate all the available beta-delayed neutron emission data. The different measurement techniques have been assessed and the data have been compared with semi-microscopic and microscopic-macroscopic models. The new microscopic database has been tested against aggregate total delayed neutron yields, time-dependent group parameters in 6-and 8-group re-presentation, and aggregate delayed neutron spectra. New recommendations of macroscopic delayed-neutron data for fissile materials of interest to applications are also presented.
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Yokoyama, R. et al, Tain, J. L., Algora, A., Agramunt, J., Domingo-Pardo, C., Morales, A. I., et al. (2019). Strong one-neutron emission from two-neutron unbound states in beta decays of the r-process nuclei Ga-86,Ga-87. Phys. Rev. C, 100(3), 031302–6pp.
Abstract: beta-delayed one-neutron and two-neutron branching ratios (P-1n and P-2n) have been measured in the decay of A = 84 to 87 Ga isotopes at the Radioactive-Isotope Beam Factory (RIBF) at the RIKEN Nishina Center using a high-efficiency array of He-3 neutron counters (BRIKEN). Two-neutron emission was observed in the decay of Ga-84,Ga-85,Ga-87 for the first time and the branching ratios were measured to be P-2n = 1.6(2)%, 1.3(2)%, and 10.2(28)(stat)(5)(sys)%, respectively. One-neutron branching ratio of Ga-87 (P-1n = 81(9)(stat)(8)(sys)%) and half-life of 29(4) ms were measured for the first time. The branching ratios of Ga-86 were also measured to be P-1n = 74(2)(stat)(8)(sys)% and 16.2(9)(stat)(6)(sys)% with better precision than a previous study. The observation that P-1n > P-2n for both Ga-86,Ga-87 was unexpected and is interpreted as a signature of dominating one-neutron emission from the two-neutron unbound excited states in Ge-86,Ge-87. In order to interpret the experimental results, shell-model and Hauser-Feshbach statistical model calculations of delayed particle and gamma-ray emission probabilities were performed. This model framework reproduces the experimental results. The shell model alone predicts P-2n significantly larger than P-1n for the Ga-87 decay, and it is necessary to invoke a statistical description to successfully explain the observation that P-1n > P-2n. Our new results demonstrate the relevance and importance of a statistical description of neutron emission for the prediction of the decay properties of multineutron emitters and that it must be included in the r-process modeling.
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BRIKEN Collaboration(Tarifeño-Saldivia, A. et al), Tain, J. L., Domingo-Pardo, C., Agramunt, J., Algora, A., Morales, A. I., et al. (2017). Conceptual design of a hybrid neutron-gamma detector for study of beta-delayed neutrons at the RIB facility of RIKEN. J. Instrum., 12, P04006–22pp.
Abstract: BRIKEN is a complex detection system to be installed at the RIB-facility of the RIKEN Nishina Center. It is aimed at the detection of heavy-ion implants, β-particles, γ-rays and β-delayed neutrons. The whole detection setup involves the Advanced Implantation Detection Array (AIDA), two HPGe Clover detectors and a large set of 166 counters of 3He embedded in a high-density polyethylene matrix. This article reports on a novel methodology developed for the conceptual design and optimisation of the 3He-tubes array, aiming at the best possible performance in terms of neutron detection. The algorithm is based on a geometric representation of two selected parameters of merit, namely, average neutron detection efficiency and efficiency flatness, as a function of a reduced number of geometric variables. The response of the detection system itself, for each configuration, is obtained from a systematic MC-simulation implemented realistically in Geant4. This approach has been found to be particularly useful. On the one hand, due to the different types and large number of 3He-tubes involved and, on the other hand, due to the additional constraints introduced by the ancillary detectors for charged particles and gamma-rays. Empowered by the robustness of the algorithm, we have been able to design a versatile detection system, which can be easily re-arranged into a compact mode in order to maximize the neutron detection performance, at the cost of the gamma-ray sensitivity. In summary, we have designed a system which shows, for neutron energies up to 1(5) MeV, a rather flat and high average efficiency of 68.6%(64%) and 75.7%(71%) for the hybrid and compact modes, respectively. The performance of the BRIKEN system has been also quantified realistically by means of MC-simulations made with different neutron energy distributions.
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Das, B. et al, & Algora, A. (2022). Nature of seniority symmetry breaking in the semimagic nucleus Ru-94. Phys. Rev. C, 105(3), L031304–6pp.
Abstract: Direct lifetime measurements via gamma -gamma coincidences using a fast timing detector array consisting of LaBr3(Ce) scintillators has been applied to determine the lifetime of low-lying states in the semimagic (N = 50) nucleus Ru-94. The experiment was carried out as the first in a series of “FAIR-0” experiments with the DESPEC experimental setup at the Facility for Antiproton and Ion Research (FAIR). Excited states in Ru-94 were populated primarily via the beta-delayed proton emission of Pd-95 nuclei, produced in the projectile fragmentation of an 850 MeV/nucleon Xe-124 beam impinging on a 4 g/cm(2) Be-9 target. While the deduced E2 strength for the 2(+) -> 0(+) transition in the yrast cascade follows the expected behavior for conserved seniority symmetry, the intermediate 4(+) -> 2(+) transition exhibits a drastic enhancement of transition strength in comparison with pure-seniority model predictions as well as standard shell model predictions in the f pg proton hole space with respect to doubly magic Sn-100. The anomalous behavior is ascribed to a subtle interference between the wave function of the lowest seniority v = 2, I-pi = 4(+) state and that of a close-lying v = 4 state that exhibits partial dynamic symmetry. In addition, the observed strongly prohibitive 6(+) -> 4(+) transition can be attributed to the same mechanism but with a destructive interference. It is noted that such effects may provide stringent tests of the nucleon-nucleon interactions employed in state-of-the-art theoretical model calculations.
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Guadilla, V. et al, Tain, J. L., Algora, A., Agramunt, J., Gelletly, W., Jordan, D., et al. (2018). Characterization and performance of the DTAS detector. Nucl. Instrum. Methods Phys. Res. A, 910, 79–89.
Abstract: DTAS is a segmented total absorption y-ray spectrometer developed for the DESPEC experiment at FAIR. It is composed of up to eighteen NaI(Tl) crystals. In this work we study the performance of this detector with laboratory sources and also under real experimental conditions. We present a procedure to reconstruct offline the sum of the energy deposited in all the crystals of the spectrometer, which is complicated by the effect of NaI(Tl) light-yield non-proportionality. The use of a system to correct for time variations of the gain in individual detector modules, based on a light pulse generator, is demonstrated. We describe also an event-based method to evaluate the summing-pileup electronic distortion in segmented spectrometers. All of this allows a careful characterization of the detector with Monte Carlo simulations that is needed to calculate the response function for the analysis of total absorption gamma-ray spectroscopy data. Special attention was paid to the interaction of neutrons with the spectrometer, since they are a source of contamination in studies of beta-delayed neutron emitting nuclei.
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Nichols, A. L., Dimitriou, P., Algora, A., Fallot, M., Giot, L., Kondev, F. G., et al. (2023). Improving fission-product decay data for reactor applications: part I-decay heat. Eur. Phys. J. A, 59(4), 78–78pp.
Abstract: Effort has been expended to assess the relative merits of undertaking further decay-data measurements of the main fission-product contributors to the decay heat of neutron-irradiated fissionable fuel and related actinides by means of Total Absorption Gamma-ray Spectroscopy (TAGS – sometimes abbreviated to TAS) and Discrete Gamma-ray Spectroscopy (DGS). This review has been carried out following similar work performed under the auspices of OECD/WPEC-Subgroup 25 (2005-2007) and the International Atomic Energy Agency (2009, 2014), and various highly relevant TAGS measurements completed as a consequence of such assessments. We present our recommendations for new decay-data evaluations, along with possible requirements for total absorption and discrete high-resolution gamma-ray spectroscopy studies that cover approximately 120 fission products and various isomeric states.
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Guadilla, V. et al, Algora, A., Tain, J. L., Agramunt, J., Aysto, J., Jordan, D., et al. (2019). Large Impact of the Decay of Niobium Isomers on the Reactor (v)over-bar(e) Summation Calculations. Phys. Rev. Lett., 122(4), 042502–6pp.
Abstract: Even mass neutron-rich niobium isotopes are among the principal contributors to the reactor antineutrino energy spectrum. They are also among the most challenging to measure due to the refractory nature of niobium, and because they exhibit isomeric states lying very close in energy. The beta-intensity distributions of Nb-100gs,Nb-100m and Nb-102gs,Nb-02m beta decays have been determined using the total absorption.-ray spectroscopy technique. The measurements were performed at the upgraded Ion Guide Isotope Separator On-Line facility at the University of Jyvaskyla. Here, the double Penning trap system JYFLTRAP was employed to disentangle the beta decay of the isomeric states. The new data obtained in this challenging measurement have a large impact in antineutrino summation calculations. For the first time the discrepancy between the summation model and the reactor antineutrino measurements in the region of the shape distortion has been reduced.
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Wimmer, K. et al, Algora, A., & Rubio, B. (2018). Shape coexistence and isospin symmetry in A=70 nuclei: Spectroscopy of the T-z =-1 nucleus Kr-70. Phys. Lett. B, 785, 441–446.
Abstract: Excited states in the T-z = -1 nucleus Kr-70 have been populated using inelastic scattering of a radioactive Kr-70 beam as well as one- and two-neutron removal reactions from Kr-71,Kr-72 at intermediate beam energies. The level scheme of Kr-70 was constructed from the observed gamma-ray transitions and coincidences. Tentative spin and parity assignments were made based on comparison with the mirror nucleus Se-70. Asecond 2(+) state and a candidate for the corresponding 4(2)(+) state suggest shape coexistence in Kr-70.
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Pragati, Deo, A. Y., Podolyak, Z., Walker, P. M., Algora, A., Rubio, B., et al. (2016). Decay of the N=126, Fr-213 nucleus. Phys. Rev. C, 94(6), 064316–8pp.
Abstract: gamma rays following the EC/beta(+) and alpha decay of the N = 126, Fr-213 nucleus have been observed at the CERN isotope separator on-line (ISOLDE) facility with the help of gamma-ray and conversion-electron spectroscopy. These gamma rays establish several hitherto unknown excited states in Rn-213. Also, five new a-decay branches from the Fr-213 ground state have been discovered. Shell model calculations have been performed to understand the newly observed states in Rn-213.
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