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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Balibrea-Correa, J., Lerendegui-Marco, J., Calvo, D., Caballero, L., Babiano, V., Ladarescu, I., et al. (2021). A first prototype of C6D6 total-energy detector with SiPM readout for neutron capture time-of-flight experiments. Nucl. Instrum. Methods Phys. Res. A, 985, 164709–8pp.
Abstract: Low efficiency total-energy detectors (TEDs) are one of the main tools for neutron capture cross section measurements utilizing the time-of-flight (TOF) technique. State-of-the-art TEDs are based on a C6D6 liquid-scintillation cell optically coupled to a fast photomultiplier tube. The large photomultiplier tube represents yet a significant contribution to the so-called neutron sensitivity background, which is one of the most conspicuous sources of uncertainty in this type of experiments. Here we report on the development of a first prototype of a TED based on a silicon-photomultiplier (SiPM) readout, thus resulting in a lightweight and much more compact detector. Apart from the envisaged improvement in neutron sensitivity, the new system uses low voltage (+28 V) and low current supply (-50 mA), which is more practical than the-kV supply required by conventional photomultipliers. One important difficulty hindering the earlier implementation of SiPM readout for this type of detector was the large capacitance for the output signal when all pixels of a SiPM array are summed together. The latter leads to long pulse rise and decay times, which are not suitable for time-of-flight experiments. In this work we demonstrate the feasibility of a Schottky-diode multiplexing readout approach, that allows one to preserve the excellent timing properties of SiPMs, hereby paving the way for their implementation in future neutron TOF experiments.
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AGATA Collaboration(Avigo, R. et al), Domingo-Pardo, C., Gadea, A., & Gonzalez, V. (2020). Low-lying electric dipole gamma-continuum for the unstable Fe-62(,)64 nuclei: Strength evolution with neutron number. Phys. Lett. B, 811, 135951–6pp.
Abstract: The gamma-ray emission from the nuclei Fe-62,Fe-64 following Coulomb excitation at bombarding energy of 400-440 AMeV was measured with special focus on E1 transitions in the energy region 4-8 MeV. The unstable neutron-rich nuclei Fe-62,Fe-64 were produced at the FAIR-GSI laboratories and selected with the FRS spectrometer. The gamma decay was detected with AGATA. From the measured gamma-ray spectra the summed E1 strength is extracted and compared to microscopic quasi-particle phonon model calculations. The trend of the E1 strength with increasing neutron number is found to be fairly well reproduced with calculations that assume a rather complex structure of the 1(-) states (three-phonon states) inducing a strong fragmentation of the E1 nuclear response below the neutron binding energy.
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Balibrea-Correa, J., Lerendegui-Marco, J., Babiano-Suarez, V., Caballero, L., Calvo, D., Ladarescu, I., et al. (2021). Machine Learning aided 3D-position reconstruction in large LaCl3 crystals. Nucl. Instrum. Methods Phys. Res. A, 1001, 165249–17pp.
Abstract: We investigate five different models to reconstruct the 3D gamma-ray hit coordinates in five large LaCl3(Ce) monolithic crystals optically coupled to pixelated silicon photomultipliers. These scintillators have a base surface of 50 x 50 mm(2) and five different thicknesses, from 10 mm to 30 mm. Four of these models are analytical prescriptions and one is based on a Convolutional Neural Network. Average resolutions close to 1-2 mm fwhm are obtained in the transverse crystal plane for crystal thicknesses between 10 mm and 20 mm using analytical models. For thicker crystals average resolutions of about 3-5 mm fwhm are obtained. Depth of interaction resolutions between 1 mm and 4 mm are achieved depending on the distance of the interaction point to the photosensor surface. We propose a Machine Learning algorithm to correct for linearity distortions and pin-cushion effects. The latter allows one to keep a large field of view of about 70%-80% of the crystal surface, regardless of crystal thickness. This work is aimed at optimizing the performance of the so-called Total Energy Detector with Compton imaging capability (i-TED) for time-of-flight neutron capture cross-section measurements.
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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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