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Soderstrom, P. A. et al, Algora, A., & Gadea, A. (2010). Spectroscopy of neutron-rich Dy-168,Dy-170: Yrast band evolution close to the NpNn valence maximum. Phys. Rev. C, 81(3), 034310–5pp.
Abstract: The yrast sequence of the neutron-rich dysprosium isotope Dy-168 has been studied using multinucleon transfer reactions following collisions between a 460-MeV Se-82 beam and an Er-170 target. The reaction products were identified using the PRISMA magnetic spectrometer and the gamma rays detected using the CLARA HPGe-detector array. The 2(+) and 4(+) members of the previously measured ground-state rotational band of Dy-168 have been confirmed and the yrast band extended up to 10(+). A tentative candidate for the 4(+) -> 2(+) transition in Dy-170 was also identified. The data on these nuclei and on the lighter even-even dysprosium isotopes are interpreted in terms of total Routhian surface calculations and the evolution of collectivity in the vicinity of the proton-neutron valence product maximum is discussed.
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Algora, A. et al, Jordan, D., Tain, J. L., Rubio, B., Agramunt, J., Perez-Cerdan, A. B., et al. (2011). Improvements on Decay Heat Summation Calculations by Means of Total Absorption Gamma-ray Spectroscopy Measurements. J. Korean Phys. Soc., 59(2), 1479–1482.
Abstract: The decay heat of fission products plays an important role in predictions of the heat released by nuclear fuel in reactors. In this contribution we present results of the analysis of the measurement of the beta decay of some refractory isotopes that were considered possible important contributors to the decay heat in reactors. The measurements presented here were performed at the IGISOL facility of the University of Jyvaskyla, Finland. In our measurements we have combined for the first time a Penning trap (JYFLTRAP), which was used as a high resolution isobaric separator, with a total absorption spectrometer. The results of the measurements as well as their consequences for decay heat summation calculations are discussed.
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Tain, J. L. et al, Algora, A., Estevez, E., Rubio, B., Valencia, E., & Jordan, D. (2011). Beta Decay Studies of Neutron Rich Nuclei Using Total Absorption Gamma-ray Spectroscopy and Delayed Neutron Measurements. J. Korean Phys. Soc., 59(2), 1499–1502.
Abstract: A complete characterisation of the beta-decay of neutron-rich nuclei can be obtained from the measurement of beta-delayed gamma rays and, whenever the process is energetically possible, beta-delayed neutrons. The accurate determination of the beta-intensity distribution and the beta-delayed neutron emission probability is of great relevance in the fields of reactor technology and nuclear astrophysics. A programme for combined measurements using the total absorption gamma-ray spectroscopy technique and both neutron counters and neutron time-of-flight spectrometers is presented.
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Yoshida, T., Hagura, N., Umezu, R., Algora, A., Tain, J. L., Jordan, D., et al. (2011). Impact of TAGS Measurement on FP Decay Data and Decay Heat Calculations. J. Korean Phys. Soc., 59(2), 1543–1546.
Abstract: Nuclear level schemes are usually constructed from the high-resolution data of the gamma-ray transitions which immediately follow the beta-decay of their parents. It is recognized that this procedure may lead to the “pandemonium problem”. If we use the decay data suffering from the pandemonium problem for the decay heat calculations the beta-ray component will be overestimated and the gamma-ray component underestimated. The beta-feeding data obtained by the total absorption gamma-ray spectroscopy (TAGS) is proved to be free from this problem. In the case of the Japanese data base for the FP decay heat calculation, the theoretical values based on the gross theory of beta-decay are widely introduced to circumvent the pandemonium problem. The gross theory, however, is not good at describing any beta-transition exclusively concentrating to a single level in the daughter nucleus. The TAGS method is also proved to be able to save this situation. Further, we have to change our comprehension over the currently published decay schemes.
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Hornillos, M. B. G., Gorlychev, V., Caballero, R., Cortes, G., Poch, A., Pretel, C., et al. (2011). Monte Carlo Simulations for the Study of a Moderated Neutron Detector. J. Korean Phys. Soc., 59(2), 1573–1576.
Abstract: This work presents the Monte Carlo simulations performed with the MCNPX and GEANT4 codes for the design of a BEta deLayEd Neutron detector, BELEN-20. This detector will be used for the study of beta delayed neutron emission and consists of a block of polyethylene with dimensions 90 x 90 x 80 cm(3) and 20 cylindrical (3)He gas counters. The results of these simulations have been validated experimentally with a (252)Cf source in the laboratory at UPC, Barcelona. Also the first experiment with this detector has been carried out in November 2009 in JYFL, Finland. In this experiment the neutron emission probability after beta decay of the fission products (88)Br, (94,95)Rb, and (138)I has been measured; this data is still under analysis. Simulations with MCNPX and GEANT4 have been performed in order to obtain the efficiency of the BELEN-20 detector for each of the above nuclei using the neutron energy distribution corresponding to each nucleus.
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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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Thisse, D. et al, Algora, A., & Guadilla, V. (2023). Study of N=50 gap evolution around Z=32: new structure information for Ge-82. Eur. Phys. J. A, 59(7), 153–13pp.
Abstract: Medium spin states of light N = 50 isotones have been populated using fast neutron-induced fission of Th-232. Online prompt gamma spectroscopy has been performed using the hybrid gamma spectrometer nu-Ball coupled to the LICORNE directional neutron source at the ALTO facility of IJCLab. Medium spin states of the neutron-rich nucleus Ge-82 have been investigated using gamma-gamma and gamma-gamma-gamma coincidence data to exploit the resolving power of nu-Ball. Two new transitions were assigned to this nucleus and a new level was placed in the level scheme. We tentatively assigned to this new state a (7(+)) spin-parity, which is interpreted as a new N = 50 core breaking state. This provides further insight into the energy evolution of the N = 50 shell gap toward Ni-78.
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Algora, A., Tain, J. L., Rubio, B., Fallot, M., & Gelletly, W. (2021). Beta-decay studies for applied and basic nuclear physics. Eur. Phys. J. A, 57(3), 85–28pp.
Abstract: In this reviewwe will present the results of recent beta-decay studies using the total absorption technique that cover topics of interest for applications, nuclear structure and astrophysics. The decays studied were selected primarily because they have a large impact on the prediction of (a) the decay heat in reactors, important for the safety of present and future reactors and (b) the reactor electron anti-neutrino spectrum, of interest for particle/nuclear physics and reactor monitoring. For these studies the total absorption technique was chosen, since it is the only method that allows one to obtain beta-decay probabilities free from a systematic error called the Pandemonium effect. The total absorption technique is based on the detection of the. cascades that follow the initial beta decay. For this reason the technique requires the use of calorimeters with very high. detection efficiency. The measurements presented and discussed here were performed mainly at the IGISOL facility of the University of Jyvaskyla (Finland) using isotopically pure beams provided by the JYFLTRAP Penning trap. Examples are presented to show that the results of our measurements on selected nuclei have had a large impact on predictions of both the decay heat and the anti-neutrino spectrum from reactors. Some of the cases involve beta-delayed neutron emission thus one can study the competition between gamma – and neutron-emission from states above the neutron separation energy. The gamma-to-neutron emission ratios can be used to constrain neutron capture (n, gamma) cross sections for unstable nuclei of interest in astrophysics. The information obtained from the measurements can also be used to test nuclear model predictions of half-lives and Pn values for decays of interest in astrophysical network calculations. These comparisons also provide insights into aspects of nuclear structure in particular regions of the nuclear chart.
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Wimmer, K. et al, Algora, A., & Rubio, B. (2020). Shape coexistence revealed in the N = Z isotope Kr-72 through inelastic scattering. Eur. Phys. J. A, 56(6), 159–12pp.
Abstract: The N = Z = 36 nucleus Kr-72 has been studied by inelastic scattering at intermediate energies. Two targets, Be-9 and Au-197, were used to extract the nuclear deformation length, delta(N), and the reduced E2 transition probability, B(E2). The previously unknown non-yrast 2(+) and 4(+) states as well as a new candidate for the octupole 3(-) state have been observed in the scattering on the Be target and placed in the level scheme based on gamma – gamma coincidences. The second 2(+) state was also observed in the scattering on the Au target and the B(E2; 2(2)(+) -> 0(1)(+)) value could be determined for the first time. Analyzing the results in terms of a two-band mixing model shows clear evidence for a oblate-prolate shape coexistence and can be explained by a shape change from an oblate ground state to prolate deformed yrast band from the first 2+ state. This interpretation is corroborated by beyond mean field calculations using the Gogny D1S interaction.
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Plompen, A. J. M. et al, & Algora, A. (2020). The joint evaluated fission and fusion nuclear data library, JEFF-3.3. Eur. Phys. J. A, 56(7), 181–108pp.
Abstract: The joint evaluated fission and fusion nuclear data library 3.3 is described. New evaluations for neutron-induced interactions with the major actinides 235U, 238U and 239Pu, on 241Am and 23Na, 59Ni, Cr, Cu, Zr, Cd, Hf, W, Au, Pb and Bi are presented. It includes new fission yields, prompt fission neutron spectra and average number of neutrons per fission. In addition, new data for radioactive decay, thermal neutron scattering, gamma-ray emission, neutron activation, delayed neutrons and displacement damage are presented. JEFF-3.3 was complemented by files from the TENDL project. The libraries for photon, proton, deuteron, triton, helion and alpha-particle induced reactions are from TENDL-2017. The demands for uncertainty quantification in modeling led to many new covariance data for the evaluations. A comparison between results from model calculations using the JEFF-3.3 library and those from benchmark experiments for criticality, delayed neutron yields, shielding and decay heat, reveals that JEFF-3.3 performes very well for a wide range of nuclear technology applications, in particular nuclear energy.
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