Search

The SPectrometer for Ion DEtermination in fission Research (SPIDER) has been developed for measuring mass yield distributions of fission products from spontaneous and neutron-induced fission. The 2 E –2 v method of measuring the kinetic energy ( E ) and velocity ( v ) of both outgoing fission products has been utilized, with the goal of measuring the mass of the fission products with an average resolution of 1 atomic mass unit (amu). The SPIDER instrument, consisting of detector components for time-of-flight, trajectory, and energy measurements, has been assembled and tested using 229 Th and 252 Cf radioactive decay sources. For commissioning, the fully assembled system measured fission products from spontaneous fission of 252 Cf. Individual measurement resolutions were met for time-of-flight (250 ps FWHM), spacial resolution (2 mm FHWM), and energy (92 keV FWHM for 8.376 MeV). Mass yield results measured from 252 Cf spontaneous fission products are reported from an E – v measurement.

A digital data acquisition system has been combined with a double Frisch gridded ionization chamber for use at both moderated and unmoderated neutron sources at the Los Alamos Neutron Science (LANSCE) facility. The high efficiency of the instrument combined with intense LANSCE beams and new acquisition system permits fission output measurements across 11 orders of magnitude incident neutron energy. The acquisition and analysis system is presented along with the first in-beam performance tests of the setup.

A new neutron counter for research experiments on nuclear fission has been developed. This instrument is designed for the detection of prompt fission neutrons within relatively high levels of gamma and neutron background. It is composed of a set of 3He proportional counters arranged within a block of polyethylene which serves as moderator. The detection properties have been studied by means of Monte Carlo simulations and experiments with radioactive sources. These properties are confirmed by an experiment on neutron-induced fission of 238U at the WNR facility of the Los Alamos Neutron Science Center during which the mean prompt fission neutron multiplicity, or ν ¯ has been measured from 1 to 20 MeV of incident neutron energy.

A new method for measuring chance-coincidence backgrounds during the collection of coincidence data is presented. The method relies on acquiring data with near-zero dead time, which is now realistic due to the increasing deployment of flash electronic-digitizer (waveform digitizer) techniques. An experiment designed to use this new method is capable of acquiring more coincidence data, and a much reduced statistical fluctuation of the measured background. A statistical analysis is presented, and used to derive a figure of merit for the new method. Factors of four improvement over other analyzes are realistic. The technique is illustrated with preliminary data taken as part of a program to make new measurements of the prompt fission neutron spectra at Los Alamos Neutron Science Center. It is expected that the these measurements will occur in a regime where the maximum figure of merit will be exploited.

A description is given of a lead slowing-down spectrometer (LSDS) installed at the 800-MeV proton accelerator of the Los Alamos Neutron Science Center (LANSCE). The LSDS is designed to study neutron-induced fission on actinides that can only be obtained or used in small quantities. The characteristics of this LSDS (energy–time relation, energy resolution, neutron flux) are presented through simulations with MCNPX and measurements with several different methods. Results on neutron-induced fission of 235U and 239Pu with tens of micrograms and tens of nanograms, respectively, are presented. Finally, additional MCNPX calculations have been performed to simulate the measurement of the cross-section for U235m(n,f) using different target quantities and different initial isomer-to-ground state compositions.

A description is given of the new flexible facility Fast Neutron-Induced Gamma-Ray Observer (FIGARO) at the Los Alamos Neutron Science Center. FIGARO is designed to study fast-neutron-induced reactions that result in the emission of γ rays and neutrons, using the white neutron beam of the Weapons Neutron Research Facility. The emitted neutrons and γ rays are detected by several liquid scintillators and one high-resolution germanium or one barium-fluoride detector, respectively. As an example, the inelastic neutron scattering on Si from 4 to 20 MeV is presented and the results are compared with predictions of the nuclear model calculations performed with the codes GNASH and EMPIRE II.