n_TOF Collaboration(Gawlik, A. et al), Domingo-Pardo, C., Tain, J. L., & Tarifeño-Saldivia, A. (2021). Radiative Neutron Capture Cross-Section Measurement of Ge Isotopes at n_TOF CERN Facility and Its Importance for Stellar Nucleosynthesis. Acta Phys. Pol. A, 139(4), 383–388.
Abstract: This manuscript summarizes the results of radiative neutron capture cross-section measurements on two stable germanium isotopes, Ge-70 and Ge-73. Experiments were performed at the n_TOF facility at CERN via the time-of-flight technique, over a wide neutron energy range, for all stable germanium isotopes (70,72,73,74, and 76). Results for Ge-70 [Phys. Rev. C 100, 045804 (2019)] and Ge-73 [Phys. Lett. B 790, 458 (2019)] are already published. In the field of nuclear structure, such measurements allow to study excited levels close to the neutron binding energy and to obtain information on nuclear properties. In stellar nucleosynthesis research, neutron induced reactions on germanium are of importance for nucleosynthesis in the weak component of the slow neutron capture processes.
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n_TOF Collaboration(Guerrero, C. et al), Giubrone, G., & Tain, J. L. (2011). Characterization of the New n_TOF Neutron Beam: Fluence, Profile and Resolution. J. Korean Phys. Soc., 59(2), 1624–1627.
Abstract: After a halt of four years, the nTOF spallation neutron facility at CERN has resumed operation in November 2008 with a new spallation target characterized by an improved safety and engineering design, resulting in a more robust overall performance and efficient cooling. The first measurement during the 2009 run has aimed at the full characterization of the neutron beam. Several detectors, such as calibrated fission chambers, the nTOF Silicon Monitor, a MicroMegas detector with (10)B and (235)U samples, as well as liquid and solid scintillators have been used in order to characterize the properties of the neutron fluence. The spatial profile of the beam has been studied with a specially designed “X-Y” MicroMegas which provided a 2D image of the beam as a function of neutron energy. Both properties have been compared with simulations performed. with the FLUKA code. The characterization of the resolution function is based on results from simulations which have been verified by the study of narrow capture resonances. of (56)Fe, which were measured as part of a new campaign of (n,gamma) measurements on Fe and Ni isotopes.
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Guerrero, C., Cano-Ott, D., Mendoza, E., Tain, J. L., Algora, A., Berthoumieux, E., et al. (2012). Monte Carlo simulation of the n_TOF Total Absorption Calorimeter. Nucl. Instrum. Methods Phys. Res. A, 671, 108–117.
Abstract: The n_TOF Total Absorption Calorimeter (TAC) is a 4 pi BaF2 segmented detector used at CERN for measuring neutron capture cross-sections of importance for the design of advanced nuclear reactors. This work presents the simulation code that has been developed in GEANT4 for the accurate determination of the detection efficiency of the TAC for neutron capture events. The code allows to calculate the efficiency of the TAC for every neutron capture state, as a function of energy, crystal multiplicity, and counting rate. The code includes all instrumental effects such as the single crystal detection threshold and energy resolution, finite size of the coincidence time window, and signal pile-up. The results from the simulation have been validated with experimental data for a large set of electromagnetic de-excitation patterns: beta-decay of well known calibration sources, neutron capture reactions in light nuclei with well known level schemes like Ti-nat, reference samples used in (n,gamma) measurements like Au-197 and experimental data from an actinide sample like Pu-240. The systematic uncertainty in the determination of the detection efficiency has been estimated for all the cases. As a representative example, the accuracy reached for the case of Au-197(n,gamma) ranges between 0.5% and 2%, depending on the experimental and analysis conditions. Such a value matches the high accuracy required for the nuclear cross-section data needed in advanced reactor design.
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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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Stuhl, L., Krasznahorkay, A., Csatlos, M., Algora, A., Gulyas, J., Kalinka, G., et al. (2014). A neutron spectrometer for studying giant resonances with (p,n) reactions in inverse kinematics. Nucl. Instrum. Methods Phys. Res. A, 736, 1–9.
Abstract: A neutron spectrometer, the European Low-Energy Neutron Spectrometer (ELENS), has been constructed to study exotic nuclei in inverse-kinematics experiments. The spectrometer, which consists of plastic scintillator bars, can be operated in the neutron energy range of 100 keV-10 MeV. The neutron energy is determined using the time-of-flight technique, while the position of the neutron detection is deduced from the time-difference information from photomultipliers attached to both ends of each bar. A novel wrapping method has been developed for the plastic scintillators. The array has a larger than 25% detection efficiency for neutrons of approximately 500 keV in kinetic energy and an angular resolution of less than 1 degrees. Details of the design, construction and experimental tests of the spectrometer will be presented.
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