Effects of the nuclear structure of fission fragments on the high-energy prompt fission γ -ray spectrum in U235(nth,f)

The prompt fission γ-ray energy spectrum for cold-neutron-induced fission of U235 was measured in the energy range Eγ=0.8–20MeV, by gaining a factor of about 105 in statistics compared to the measurements performed so far. The spectrum exhibits local bump structures at Eγ≈4MeV and ≈6MeV, and also a broad one at ≈15MeV. In order to understand the origins of these bumps, the γ-ray spectra were calculated using a statistical Hauser-Feshbach model, taking into account the deexcitation of all the possible primary fission fragments. It is shown that the bump at ≈4MeV is created by the transitions between the discrete levels in the fragments around Sn132, and the bump at ≈6MeV mostly comes from the complementary light fragments. It is also indicated that a limited number of nuclides, which have high-spin states at low excitation energies, can contribute to the bump structure around Eγ≈15MeV, induced by the transition feeding into the low-lying high-spin states.