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The normalized $^{238}$U(n,f)/$^{235}$U(n,f) cross section ratio has been measured using the NIFFTE fission Time Projection Chamber from the reaction threshold to $30$~MeV. The fissionTPC is a two-volume MICROMEGAS time projection chamber that allows for full three-dimensional reconstruction of fission-fragment ionization profiles from neutron-induced fission. The measurement was performed at the Los Alamos Neutron Science Center, where the neutron energy is determined from neutron time-of-flight. The $^{238}$U(n,f)/$^{235}$U(n,f) ratio reported here is the first cross section measurement made with the fissionTPC, and will provide new experimental data for evaluation of the $^{238}$U(n,f) cross section, an important standard used in neutron-flux measurements. Use of a development target in this work prevented the determination of an absolute normalization, to be addressed in future measurements. Instead, the measured cross section ratio has been normalized to ENDF/B-VIII.$\beta$5 at 14.5 MeV.

The average total kinetic energy $(\overline{TKE})$ in $^{239}\mathrm{Pu}(n,f)$ has been measured for incident neutron energies between 0.5 and 50 MeV. The experiment was performed at the Los Alamos Neutron Science Center (LANSCE) using the neutron time-of-flight technique, and the kinetic energy of fission fragments post-neutron emission was measured in a double Frisch-gridded ionization chamber. This represents the first experimental study of the energy dependence of $\overline{TKE}$ in $^{239}\mathrm{Pu}$ above neutron energies of 6 MeV.

Background: Stellar electron-capture reactions on medium-heavy nuclei are important for many astrophysical phenomena, including core-collapse and thermonuclear supernov\ae{} and neutron stars. Estimates of electron-capture rates rely on accurate estimates of Gamow-Teller strength distributions, which can be extracted from charge-exchange reactions at intermediate beam energies. Measured Gamow-Teller transition strength distributions for stable pf-shell nuclei are reasonably well reproduced by theoretical calculations in the shell model, except for lower mass nuclei where admixtures from the sd shell can become important.Purpose: This paper presents a ${\ensuremath{\beta}}^{+}$ charge-exchange experiment on $^{45}\mathrm{Sc}$, one of the lightest pf-shell nuclei. The focus was on Gamow-Teller transitions to final states at low excitation energies, which are particularly important for accurate estimations of electron-capture rates at relatively low stellar densities. The experimental results are compared with various theoretical models.Method: The double-differential cross section for the $^{45}\mathrm{Sc}(t,^{3}\mathrm{He}+\ensuremath{\gamma})$ reaction was measured using the NSCL Coupled-Cyclotron Facility at $115\phantom{\rule{4pt}{0ex}}\mathrm{MeV}/u$. Gamow-Teller contributions to the excitation-energy spectra were extracted by means of a multipole-decomposition analysis. $\ensuremath{\gamma}$ rays emitted due to the deexcitation of $^{45}\mathrm{Ca}$ were measured using GRETINA to allow for the extraction of Gamow-Teller strengths from very weak transitions at low excitation energies.Results: Gamow-Teller transition strengths to $^{45}\mathrm{Ca}$ were extracted up to an excitation energy of 20 MeV, and that to the first excited state in $^{45}\mathrm{Ca}$ at 174 keV was extracted from the $\ensuremath{\gamma}$-ray measurement, which, even though weak, is important for the astrophysical applications and dominates under certain stellar conditions. Shell-model calculations performed in the pf shell-model space with the GXPF1A, KB3G, and FPD6 interactions did not reproduce the experimental Gamow-Teller strength distribution, and a calculation using the quasiparticle random phase approximation that is often used in astrophysical simulations also could not reproduce the experimental strength distribution.Conclusions: Theoretical models aimed at describing Gamow-Teller transition strengths from nuclei in the lower pf shell for the purpose of estimating electron-capture rates for astrophysical simulations require further development. The likely cause for the relatively poor performance of the shell-model theory is the influence of intruder configurations from the sd shell. The combination of charge-exchange experiments at intermediate beam energy and high-resolution $\ensuremath{\gamma}$-ray detection provides a powerful technique to identify weak transitions to low-lying final states that are nearly impossible to identify without the coincidences. Identification of these weak low-lying transitions is important for providing accurate electron-capture rates for astrophysical simulations.

Beta-delayed proton emission from nuclides in the neighborhood of 100Sn was studied at the National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory. The nuclei were produced by fragmentation of a 120 MeV/nucleon 112Sn primary beam on a Be target. Beam purification was provided by the A1900 Fragment Separator and the Radio Frequency Fragment Separator. The fragments of interest were identified and their decay was studied with the NSCL Beta Counting System (BCS) in conjunction with the Segmented Germanium Array (SeGA). The nuclei 96Cd, 98Ing, 98Inm and 99In were identified as beta-delayed proton emitters, with branching ratios bp = 5.5(40)%, 5.5+3 -2%, 19(2)% and 0.9(4)%, respectively. The bp for 89Ru, 91,92Rh, 93Pd and 95Ag were deduced for the first time with bp = 3+1.9 -1.7%, 1.3(5)%, 1.9(1)%, 7.5(5)% and 2.5(3)%, respectively. The bp = 22(1)% for 101Sn was deduced with higher precision than previously reported. The impact of the newly measured bp values on the composition of the type-I X-ray burst ashes was studied.