Prompt fission γ-ray data from spontaneous fission and the mechanism of fission-fragment de-excitation
The investigation of prompt γ-ray emission in nuclear fission has a great relevance for the assessment of prompt heat generation in a reactor core and for the better understanding of the de-excitation mechanism of fission fragments. Some years ago experimental data was scarce and available only from a few fission reactions, 233,235U(nth, f), 239Pu(nth, f), and 252Cf(sf). Initiated by a high priority data request published by the OECD/NEA a dedicated prompt fission γ-ray measurement program is being conducted at the Joint Research Centre Geel. In recent years we obtained new and accurate prompt fission γ-ray spectrum (PFGS) characteristics (average number of photons per fission, average total energy per fission and mean photon energy) from 252Cf(sf), 235U(nth, f) and 239,241Pu(nth, f) within 2% of uncertainty. In order to understand the dependence of prompt fission γ-ray emission on the compound nuclear mass and excitation energy, we started a first measurement campaign on spontaneously fissioning plutonium and curium isotopes. Results on PFGS characteristics from 240,242Pu(sf) show a dependence on the fragment mass distribution rather than on the average prompt neutron multiplicity, pointing to a more complex competition between prompt fission γ-ray and neutron emission.
OBERSTEDT Stephan;
DRAGIC Aleksandar;
GATERA Angelique;
GÖÖK Alf;
HAMBSCH Franz-Josef;
OBERSTEDT A.;
2017-10-25
EDP Sciences
JRC104073
2100 014X,
https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC104073,
10.1051/epjconf/201714604060,
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