|
|
Molina, F., Aguilera, P., Romero-Barrientos, J., Arellano, H. F., Agramunt, J., Medel, J., et al. (2017). Energy distribution of the neutron flux measurements at the Chilean Reactor RECH-1 using multi-foil neutron activation and the Expectation Maximization unfolding algorithm. Appl. Radiat. Isot., 129, 28–34.
Abstract: We present a methodology to obtain the energy distribution of the neutron flux of an experimental nuclear reactor, using multi-foil activation measurements and the Expectation Maximization unfolding algorithm, which is presented as an alternative to well known unfolding methods such as GRAVEL. Self-shielding flux corrections for energy bin groups were obtained using MCNP6 Monte Carlo simulations. We have made studies at the at the Dry Tube of RECH-1 obtaining fluxes of 1.5(4) x 10(13) cm(-2) s(-1) for the thermal neutron energy region, 1.9(5) x 10(12) cm(-2) s(-1) for the epithermal neutron energy region, and 4.3(11) x 10(11) cm(-2) s(-1) for the fast neutron energy region.
|
|
|
|
Orrigo, S. E. A. et al, Rubio, B., Gelletly, W., Aguilera, P., Algora, A., Morales, A. I., et al. (2021). beta decay of the very neutron-deficient Ge-60 and Ge-62 nuclei. Phys. Rev. C, 103(1), 014324–12pp.
Abstract: We report here the results of a study of the beta decay of the proton-rich Ge isotopes, Ge-60 and Ge-62, produced in an experiment at the RIKEN Nishina Center. We have improved our knowledge of the half-lives of Ge-62 [73.5(1) ms] and Ge-60 [25.0(3) ms] and its daughter nucleus, Ga-60 [69.4(2) ms]. We measured individual beta-delayed proton and gamma emissions and their related branching ratios. Decay schemes and absolute Fermi and Gamow-Teller transition strengths have been determined. The mass excesses of the nuclei under study have been deduced. A total beta-delayed proton-emission branching ratio of 67(3)% has been obtained for Ge-60. New information has been obtained on the energy levels populated in Ga-60 and on the 1/2(-) excited state in the beta p daughter Zn-59. We extracted a ground state-to-ground state feeding of 85.3(3)% for the decay of Ge-62. Eight new y lines have been added to the deexcitation of levels populated in the Ga-62 daughter.
|
|
|
|
Romero-Barrientos, J., Marquez Damian, J. I., Molina, F., Zambra, M., Aguilera, P., Lopez-Usquiano, F., et al. (2022). Calculation of kinetic parameters beta eff and L with modified open source Monte Carlo code OpenMC(TD). Nucl. Eng. Technol., 54(3), 811–816.
Abstract: This work presents the methodology used to expand the capabilities of the Monte Carlo code OpenMC for the calculation of reactor kinetic parameters: effective delayed neutron fraction beff and neutron generation time L. The modified code, OpenMC(Time-Dependent) or OpenMC(TD), was then used to calculate the effective delayed neutron fraction by using the prompt method, while the neutron generation time was estimated using the pulsed method, fitting L to the decay of the neutron population. OpenMC(TD) is intended to serve as an alternative for the estimation of kinetic parameters when licensed codes are not available. The results obtained are compared to experimental data and MCNP calculated values for 18 benchmark configurations.
|
|
|
|
Van Isacker, P., Algora, A., Vitéz-Sveiczer, A., Kiss, G. G., Orrigo, S. E. A., Rubio, B., et al. (2023). Gamow-Teller Beta Decay and Pseudo-SU(4) Symmetry. Symmetry-Basel, 15(11), 2001–15pp.
Abstract: We report on recent experimental results on beta decay into self-conjugate ( N = Z) nuclei with mass number 58 <= A <= 70. Super-allowed b decays from the J(pi) = 0(+) ground state of a Z = N + 2 parent nucleus are to the isobaric analogue state through so-called Fermi transitions and to J(pi) = 1(+) states by way of Gamow-Teller (GT) transitions. The operator of the latter decay is a generator of Wigner's SU(4) algebra and as a consequence GT transitions obey selection rules associated with this symmetry. Since SU(4) is progressively broken with increasing A, mainly as a consequence of the spinorbit interaction, this symmetry is not relevant for the nuclei considered here. We argue, however, that the pseudo-spin-orbit splitting can be small in nuclei with 58 <= A <= 70, in which case nuclear states exhibit an approximate pseudo-SU(4) symmetry. To test this conjecture, GT decay strength is calculated with use of a schematic Hamiltonian with pseudo-SU(4) symmetry. Some generic features of the GT beta decay due to pseudo-SU(4) symmetry are pointed out. The experimentally observed GT strength indicates a restoration of pseudo-SU(4) symmetry for A = 70.
|
|
