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Luo, X. L. et al, Agramunt, J., Egea, F. J., Gadea, A., & Huyuk, T. (2018). Pulse pile-up identification and reconstruction for liquid scintillator based neutron detectors. Nucl. Instrum. Methods Phys. Res. A, 897, 59–65.
Abstract: The issue of pulse pile-up is frequently encountered in nuclear experiments involving high counting rates, which will distort the pulse shapes and the energy spectra. A digital method of off-line processing of pile-up pulses is presented. The pile-up pulses were firstly identified by detecting the downward-going zero-crossings in the first-order derivative of the original signal, and then the constituent pulses were reconstructed based on comparing the pile-up pulse with four models that are generated by combining pairs of neutron and.. standard pulses together with a controllable time interval. The accuracy of this method in resolving the pile-up events was investigated as a function of the time interval between two pulses constituting a pile-up event. The obtained results show that the method is capable of disentangling two pulses with a time interval among them down to 20 ns, as well as classifying them as neutrons or gamma rays. Furthermore, the error of reconstructing pile-up pulses could be kept below 6% when successive peaks were separated by more than 50 ns. By applying the method in a high counting rate of pile-up events measurement of the NEutron Detector Array (NEDA), it was empirically found that this method can reconstruct the pile-up pulses and perform neutron-gamma discrimination quite accurately. It can also significantly correct the distorted pulse height spectrum due to pile-up events.
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Garcia, A. R., Martinez, T., Cano-Ott, D., Castilla, J., Guerrero, C., Marin, J., et al. (2012). MONSTER: a time of flight spectrometer for beta-delayed neutron emission measurements. J. Instrum., 7, C05012–12pp.
Abstract: The knowledge of the beta-decay properties of nuclei contributes decisively to our understanding of nuclear phenomena: the beta-delayed neutron emission of neutron rich nuclei plays an important role in the nucleosynthesis r-process and constitutes a probe for nuclear structure of very neutron rich nuclei providing information about the high energy part of the full beta strength (S-beta) function. In addition, beta-delayed neutrons are essential for the control and safety of nuclear reactors. In order to determine the neutron energy spectra and emission probabilities from neutron precursors a MOdular Neutron time-of-flight SpectromeTER (MONSTER) has been proposed for the DESPEC experiment at the future FAIR facility. The design of MONSTER and status of its construction are reported in this work.
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Tain, J. L., Agramunt, J., Algora, A., Aprahamian, A., Cano-Ott, D., Fraile, L. M., et al. (2015). The sensitivity of LaBr3:Ce scintillation detectors to low energy neutrons: Measurement and Monte Carlo simulation. Nucl. Instrum. Methods Phys. Res. A, 774, 17–24.
Abstract: The neutron sensitivity of a cylindrical circle minus 1.5 in x 1.5 in LaBr3:Ce scintillation detector was measured using quasi-monoenergetic neutron beams in the energy range from 40 keV to 2.5 MeV. In this energy range the detector is sensitive to gamma-rays generated in neutron inelastic and capture processes. The experimental energy response was compared with Monte Carlo simulations performed with the Geant4 simulation toolkit using the so-called High Precision Neutron Models. These models rely on relevant information stored in evaluated nuclear data libraries. The performance of the Geant4 Neutron Data Library as well as several standard nuclear data libraries was investigated. In the latter case this was made possible by the use of a conversion tool that allowed the direct use of the data from other libraries in Geant4. Overall it was found that there was good agreement with experiment for some of the neutron data bases like ENDF/B-VII.0 or JENDL-3.3 but not with the others such as ENDF/B-VI.8 or JEFF-3.1.
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Morales, A. I. et al, Agramunt, J., Algora, A., Gadea, A., Molina, F., & Rubio, B. (2011). Synthesis of N=127 isotones through (p,n) charge-exchange reactions induced by relativistic (208)Pb projectiles. Phys. Rev. C, 84(1), 011601–5pp.
Abstract: The production cross sections of four N = 127 isotones ((207)Hg, (206)Au, (205)Pt, and (204)Ir) have been measured using (p,n) charge-exchange reactions, induced in collisions of a (208)Pb primary beam at 1 A GeV with a Be target. These data allow one to investigate the use of a reaction mechanism to extend the limits of the chart of nuclides toward the important r-process nuclei in the region of the third peak of elemental abundance distribution.
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Nacher, E., Rubio, B., Algora, A., Cano-Ott, D., Tain, J. L., Gadea, A., et al. (2016). Observations of the Gamow-Teller resonance in the rare-earth nuclei above Gd-146 populated in beta decay. Phys. Rev. C, 93(1), 014308–13pp.
Abstract: The rare-earth region of the nuclear table around the quasi-doubly magic nucleus Gd-146 is one of the very few places in which the Gamow-Teller (GT) resonance can be populated in beta decay. The appropriate technique to study such a phenomenon is total absorption spectroscopy, thanks to which one can measure the B(GT) distribution in beta-decay experiments even when it is very fragmented and lies at high excitation energy in the daughter nucleus. Results on the GT resonance measured in the beta decay of the odd-Z, N = 83 nuclei Tb-148, Ho-150, and Tm-152 are presented in this work and compared with shell-model calculations. The tail of the resonance is clearly observed up to the limit imposed by the Q value. This observation is important in the context of the understanding of the “quenching” of the GT strength.
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Orrigo, S. E. A. et al, Rubio, B., Gelletly, W., Agramunt, J., Algora, A., & Molina, F. (2016). beta decay of the exotic T-z =-2 nuclei Fe-48, Ni-52, and Zn-56. Phys. Rev. C, 93(4), 044336–18pp.
Abstract: The results of a study of the beta decays of three proton-rich nuclei with T-z = -2, namely Fe-48, Ni-52, and Zn-56, produced in an experiment carried out at GANIL, are reported. In all three cases we have extracted the half-lives and the total beta-delayed proton emission branching ratios. We have measured the individual beta-delayed protons and beta-delayed. rays and the branching ratios of the corresponding levels. Decay schemes have been determined for the three nuclei, and new energy levels are identified in the daughter nuclei. Competition between beta-delayed protons and. rays is observed in the de-excitation of the T = 2 isobaric analog states in all three cases. Absolute Fermi and Gamow-Teller transition strengths have been determined. The mass excesses of the nuclei under study have been deduced. In addition, we discuss in detail the data analysis taking as a test case Zn-56, where the exotic beta-delayed gamma-proton decay has been observed.
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Briz, J. A., Borge, M. J. G., Rubio, B., Agramunt, J., Algora, A., Deo, A. Y., et al. (2022). Clarifying the structure of low-lying states in Br-72. Phys. Rev. C, 105(1), 014323–17pp.
Abstract: The spins and parities of low-lying states in 72Br populated in the beta decay of 72Kr have been studied via conversion electron spectroscopy. The measurements were carried out at ISOLDE using a miniorange spectrometer with Si(Li) and HPGe detectors for electrons and gamma ray detection. Results of the conversion coefficients corresponding to transitions deexciting 12 levels in 72Br are reported. The multipolarities of the transitions are deduced and the spins and parities of the levels involved are discussed. From the multipolarities of the most intense transitions to the ground state, the spin and parity of the 72Br ground state have been definitely established as 1+. The spin of the 101.2-keV isomeric state is determined to be 3-. The level scheme is compared with mean-field and shell-model calculations and oblate deformation for the 72Br ground state is deduced. No E0 transitions have been found in 72Br. E0 transitions in the neighboring isobaric nuclei, 72Se and 72Ge, have also been studied.
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Guadilla, V. et al, Algora, A., Tain, J. L., Agramunt, J., Jordan, D., Monserrate, M., et al. (2022). Total absorption gamma-ray spectroscopy of the ss decays of Y-96gs,Y-m. Phys. Rev. C, 106(1), 014306–14pp.
Abstract: The ss decays of the ground state (gs) and isomeric state (m) of Y-96 have been studied with the total absorption gamma-ray spectroscopy technique at the Ion Guide Isotope Separator On-Line facility. The separation of the 8(+) isomeric state from the 0(-) ground state was achieved thanks to the purification capabilities of the JYFLTRAP double Penning trap system. The ss-intensity distributions of both decays have been independently determined. In the analyses the deexcitation of the 1581.6 keV level in Zr-96, in which conversion electron emission competes with pair production, has been carefully considered and found to have significant impact on the ss-detector efficiency, influencing the ss-intensity distribution obtained. Our results for Y-96gs (0(-)) confirm the large ground state to ground state ss-intensity probability, although a slightly larger value than reported in previous studies was obtained, amounting to 96.6(-2.1)(+0.3) % of the total ss intensity. Given that the decay of Y-96gs is the second most important contributor to the reactor antineutrino spectrum between 5 and 7 MeV, the impact of the present results on reactor antineutrino summation calculations has been evaluated. In the decay of Y-96m (8(+)), previously undetected ss intensity in transitions to states above 6 MeV has been observed. This shows the importance of total absorption gamma-ray spectroscopy measurements of ss decays with highly fragmented deexcitation patterns. Y-96m (8(+)) is a major contributor to reactor decay heat in uranium-plutonium and thorium-uranium fuels around 10 s after fission pulses, and the newly measured average ss and gamma energies differ significantly from the previous values in evaluated databases. The discrepancy is far above the previously quoted uncertainties. Finally, we also report on the successful implementation of an innovative total absorption gamma-ray spectroscopy analysis of the module-multiplicity gated spectra, as a first proof of principle to distinguish between decaying states with very different spin-parity values.
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Hall, O. et al, Agramunt, J., Algora, A., Domingo-Pardo, C., Morales, A. I., Rubio, B., et al. (2021). beta-delayed neutron emission of r-process nuclei at the N=82 shell closure. Phys. Lett. B, 816, 136266–7pp.
Abstract: Theoretical models of beta-delayed neutron emission are used as crucial inputs in r-process calculations. Benchmarking the predictions of these models is a challenge due to a lack of currently available experimental data. In this work the beta-delayed neutron emission probabilities of 33 nuclides in the important mass regions south and south-west of Sn-132 are presented, 16 for the first time. The measurements were performed at RIKEN using the Advanced Implantation Detector Array (AIDA) and the BRIKEN neutron detector array. The P-1n values presented constrain the predictions of theoretical models in the region, affecting the final abundance distribution of the second r-process peak at A approximate to 130.
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Rubio, B. et al, Orrigo, S. E. A., Montaner-Piza, A., Agramunt, J., Algora, A., & Molina, F. (2014). Beta Decay Study of the T-z =-2 Zn-56 Nucleus and the Determination of the Half-Lives of a Few fp-shell Nuclei. Nucl. Data Sheets, 120, 37–40.
Abstract: This paper concerns the experimental study of the beta decay properties of few proton-rich fp-shell nuclei. The nuclei were produced at GANIL in fragmentation reactions, separated with the LISE spectrometer and stopped in an implantation detector surrounded by Ge detectors. The beta-delayed gammas, beta-delayed protons and the exotic beta-delayed gamma-proton emission have been studied. Preliminary results are presented. The decay of the T-z = -2 nucleus Zn-56 has been studied in detail. Information from the beta-delayed protons and beta-delayed gammas has been used to deduce the decay scheme. The exotic beta-delayed gamma-proton decay has been observed for the first time in the fp-shell. The interpretation of the data was made possible thanks to the detailed knowledge of the mirror Charge Exchange (CE) process and the gamma de-excitation of the states in Co-56, the mirror nucleus of Cu-56.
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