Effort has been expended to assess the relative merits of undertaking further decay-data measurements of the main fission-product contributors to the decay heat of neutron-irradiated fissionable fuel ...and related actinides by means of Total Absorption Gamma-ray Spectroscopy (TAGS - sometimes abbreviated to TAS) and Discrete Gamma-ray Spectroscopy (DGS). This review has been carried out following similar work performed under the auspices of OECD/WPEC-Subgroup 25 (2005–2007) and the International Atomic Energy Agency (2009, 2014), and various highly relevant TAGS measurements completed as a consequence of such assessments. We present our recommendations for new decay-data evaluations, along with possible requirements for total absorption and discrete high-resolution gamma-ray spectroscopy studies that cover approximately 120 fission products and various isomeric states.
Element 117 (tennessine) joined the periodic table in November 2016. Two tennessine isotopes were synthesized by bombarding
249
Bk from Oak Ridge National Laboratory with
48
Ca ions at the Joint ...Institute of Nuclear Research, Russia, and 11 new heaviest isotopes of odd-Z elements were observed in subsequent decay chains. These isotopes exhibit increasing lifetimes as the closed nuclear shell at neutron number N = 184 is approached, providing evidence for the "island of stability" for super-heavy elements. This paper summarizes recent super-heavy element research with a focus on element 117, the role of actinide targets, and opportunities to synthesize elements 119 and 120.
Since 2000, six new super-heavy elements with atomic numbers 113 through 118 have been synthesized in hot fusion reactions of 48Ca beams on actinide targets. These target materials, including 242Pu, ...244Pu, 243Am, 245Cm, 248Cm, 249Cf, and 249Bk, are available in very limited quantities and require specialized production and processing facilities resident in only a few research centers worldwide. This report describes the production and chemical processing of heavy actinide materials for super-heavy element research, current availabilities of these materials, and related target fabrication techniques. The impact of actinide materials in super-heavy element discovery is reviewed, and strategies for enhancing the production of rare actinides including 249Bk, 251Cf, and 254Es are described.
Abstract
The
β
-delayed neutron-emission probabilities of 28 exotic neutron-rich isotopes of Pm, Sm, Eu, and Gd were measured for the first time at RIKEN Nishina Center using the Advanced ...Implantation Detector Array (AIDA) and the BRIKEN neutron detector array. The existing
β
-decay half-life (
T
1/2
) database was significantly increased toward more neutron-rich isotopes, and uncertainties for previously measured values were decreased. The new data not only constrain the theoretical predictions of half-lives and
β
-delayed neutron-emission probabilities, but also allow for probing the mechanisms of formation of the high-mass wing of the rare-earth peak located at
A
≈ 160 in the
r
-process abundance distribution through astrophysical reaction network calculations. An uncertainty quantification of the calculated abundance patterns with the new data shows a reduction of the uncertainty in the rare-earth peak region. The newly introduced variance-based sensitivity analysis method offers valuable insight into the influence of important nuclear physics inputs on the calculated abundance patterns. The analysis has identified the half-lives of
168
Sm and of several gadolinium isotopes as some of the key variables among the current experimental data to understand the remaining abundance uncertainty at
A
= 167–172.
.
The reaction
54
Cr$ + $
248
Cm
was investigated at the velocity filter SHIP at GSI, Darmstadt, with the intention to study production and decay properties of isotopes of element 120. Three ...correlated signals were measured, which occurred within a period of 279ms. The heights of the signals correspond with the expectations for a decay sequence starting with an isotope of element 120. However, a complete decay chain cannot be established, since a signal from the implantation of the evaporation residue cannot be identified unambiguously. Measured properties of the event chain are discussed in detail. The result is compared with theoretical predictions. Previously measured decay properties of even element super-heavy nuclei were compiled in order to find arguments for an assignment from the systematics of experimental data. In the course of this review, a few tentatively assigned data could be corrected. New interpretations are given for results which could not be assigned definitely in previous studies. The discussion revealed that the cross-section for production of element 120 could be high enough so that a successful experiment seems possible with presently available techniques. However, a continuation of the experiment at SHIP for a necessary confirmation of the results obtained in a relatively short irradiation of five weeks is not possible at GSI presently. Therefore, we decided to publish the results of the measurement and of the review as they exist now. In the summary and outlook section we also present concepts for the continuation of research in the field of super-heavy nuclei.
The KDK (potassium decay) experiment Di Stefano, P.C.F.; Brewer, N.; Fijałkowska, A. ...
Journal of physics. Conference series,
01/2020, Letnik:
1342, Številka:
1
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
Potassium-40 (40K) is a background in many rare-event searches and may well play a role in interpreting results from the DAMA dark-matter search. The electron-capture decay of 40K to the ground state ...of 40 Ar has never been measured and contributes an unknown amount of background. The KDK (potassium decay) collaboration will measure this branching ratio using a 40K source, an X-ray detector, and the Modular Total Absorption Spectrometer at Oak Ridge National Laboratory.
This work describes the implementation of a digital data acquisition system for the search and study of short-lived isotopes or superheavy elements at the GARIS-III separator at the RIKEN Nishina ...Center. A reduction to 26±0.5 keV in the average value of the Full Width at Half Maximum of the alpha spectrum at 7.133 MeV was achieved, combined with a reduction of the dead time of the overall system to around a few tens of nanoseconds for the detection of very fast decay chains. Moreover, we measured a reduction of the background induced by particles crossing the implantation detector using pulse shape analysis techniques. The detail of the optimization and analysis will be presented.
Nab: Measurement principles, apparatus and uncertainties Počanić, Dinko; Alarcon, R.; Alonzi, L.P. ...
Nuclear instruments & methods in physics research. Section A, Accelerators, spectrometers, detectors and associated equipment,
12/2009, Letnik:
611, Številka:
2
Journal Article
Recenzirano
The Nab collaboration will perform a precise measurement of
a, the electron–neutrino correlation parameter, and
b, the Fierz interference term in neutron beta decay, in the Fundamental Neutron ...Physics Beamline at the SNS, using a novel electric/magnetic field spectrometer and detector design. The experiment is aiming at the
10
-
3
accuracy level in
Δ
a
/
a
, and will provide an independent measurement of
λ
=
G
A
/
G
V
, the ratio of axial-vector to vector coupling constants of the nucleon. Nab also plans to perform the first ever measurement of
b in neutron decay, which will provide an independent limit on the tensor weak coupling.
Half-lifes (
T
1/2
) of exotic neutron-rich isotopes of Ba, La, Ce, Pr, and Nd were measured at the RIKEN Nishina Center. The experimental setup consisted of the BigRIPS in-flight separator for ion ...selection identification, the Advance Implantation Detector Array (AIDA) for ions and β detection, and the BRIKEN detector for neutron counting. Using this setup, 4 new
T
1/2
have been measured for the first time, and 38
T
1/2
have been remeasured with improved precision in several cases. These new experimental data should help to constrain theoretical models for calculations of
T
1/2
. The status of the experimental analysis and preliminary results are provided in this contribution.
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