Yu. N. Kopatch

EXPERIMENTAL EVIDENCES OF CLUSTERING IN LOW EXCITED HEAVY NUCLEAR SYSTEMS

Results of the experiments aimed at revealing of manifestations of collinear cluster tri-partition (CCT) of the 252Cf and 236U* nuclei are reported. Presumably, the ternary decay of nuclear molecules based on heavy magic clusters such as isotopes of Ni, Ge, Sn, Te gives rise to the effect observed. Experimental conditions allow one to distinguish two CCT partners flying almost in the same direction, while analysis of their charges ensures the discrimination of the background due to scattering. A total yield of the CCT originated events found at the order of 10-3 per binary fission.

γ-ray spectroscopy with a 8He beam

The He-8 + Pb-208 reaction was studied in the first experiment with the EXOGAM germanium detector array using beam delivered by the SPIRAL facility. gamma-rays from direct and fusion-evaporation reactions were observed with high resolution. gamma-gamma coincidence data were obtained at a beam intensity level of 105 8He particles per second. Specially designed absorbers and beam detectors could further reduce the background radiation by orders of magnitude.

Multilayer passive shielding of scintillation detectors based on BGO, NaI(Tl), and stilbene crystals operating in intense neutron fields with an energy of 14.1 MeV

We discuss the issues related to choosing the optimum type of passive shielding of scintillation detectors based on BGO, NaI(Tl), and stilbene crystals from the direct penetration of neutron radiation with an energy of 14.1 MeV that was emitted isotropically into a solid angle of 4π. A series of experimental measurements of the count-rate suppression factor that may be obtained for the indicated detectors through the use of various shielding filters comprising iron, lead, and borated polyethylene layers with a total thickness not exceeding 50 cm are conducted.

Measuring the nuclear charge of fission fragments using a large ionization chamber—part of the double-arm time-of-flight spectrometer

Identification of decay products is a relevant task in studying rare collinear decays of low excited heavy nuclei. A technique for measuring the nuclear charge of decay products detected by a wide-aperture ionization chamber—a part of the double-arm time-of-flight spectrometer—is described. Two versions of nuclear charge calibration using data of the reaction 235U(nth, f) have been developed to determine the charge of the decay products. Testing with simulation data shows that the use of charge parameterization based on the Bohr-Willer empirical equation in the calibration procedure makes it possible to determine the nuclear charge of the fission fragments over a wide energy range. The charges of light ions from He to C, predicted on the basis of this approach, appear to be overestimated by two charge units.

Neutron-deficient N≈126 nuclei produced in 238U fragmentation: Population of high-spin states

The population of metastable states produced in relativistic‐energy fragmentation of a 238U beam has been measured. For states with high angular momentum, I=17ℏ and I=21.5ℏ, a higher population than expected has been observed, with the discrepancy increasing with angular momentum. By considering two sources for the angular momentum, related to single‐particle and collective motions, a much improved description of the experimental results can be obtained. In addition, new results on the structure of 208Fr, 211Ra and 216Ac are reported.

Prospects for further studies of effects of T-odd asymmetry in the emission of light particles in the polarized-neutron-induced ternary fission of heavy nuclei

Prospects for further studies of TRI and ROT effects of T-odd asymmetry in the emission of light particles in the ternary and binary fission of heavy nuclei that is induced by slow polarized neutrons are considered with a view to studying the mechanism for the formation of these effects and using them to get new information about fission dynamics. It is planned to investigate the dependence of the corresponding T-odd-asymmetry coefficients on the main characteristics of the fission reaction.

Tri And Rot Effects In Ternary Fission: What Can Be Learned?

Inducing fission by polarized neutrons allows studying subtle effects of the dynamics of the process. In the present experiments ternary fission of 235U and 239Pu was investigated with cold neutrons in the (n,f) reaction at the Institut Laue‐Langevin, Grenoble. Asymmetries in the emission of ternary particles were discovered by making use of the neutron spin flipping. It was found that two effects are interfering. There is first an asymmetry in the total yields of ternary particles having been called the TRI‐effect. Second, it was observed that the angular distributions of ternary particles are shifted back and forth when flipping the neutron spin. This shift was named ROT effect. Guided by trajectory calculations of the three‐body decay, the signs and sizes of the ROT effect are interpreted in terms of the K‐numbers of the transition states at the saddle point of fission.

Rotation of scissioning nuclei observed in ternary fission induced by polarized neutrons

Angular distributions of light charged particles relative to the momentum of the light fission fragment were studied in ternary fission induced by cold polarized neutrons. It was discovered that the angular distribution is asymmetric with respect to a plane determined by the direction of incident neutron spin and the light fragment momentum. The violation of the mirrorlike symmetry was established at the level of ∼10−2–10−4 for three reactions studied: 233U(n,f), 235U(n,f) and 239Pu(n,f). In spite of the smallness of the effects the neutron spin flip method allowed to make reliable measurements. The current status of the experimental studies of the effect and its interpretation are presented. Perspectives for further studies of the new phenomenon are discussed.

Energy distribution of ternary {alpha} particles in spontaneous fission of {sup 252}Cf

The energy distribution of the ternary {alpha} particles in spontaneous fission of {sup 252}Cf was measured. For the first time an energy threshold as low as 1 MeV was reached. The experiment used an array of unshielded silicon detectors measuring energy and time-of-flight (TOF) of ternary particles in coincidence with fission fragments. The TOF resolution of the system was sufficient for clear separation of {sup 6}He and tritons from {sup 4}He. The statistics were adequate to extract the {sup 6}He/{sup 4}He yield ratio. For both {sup 4}He and {sup 6}He, an excess in the yield (as compared to a Gaussian shape) was observed at energies below 9 MeV. The measured ternary {alpha} spectrum was corrected for the distortion induced by the detection geometry covering equatorial particle emission only. The emission angle was found to affect mainly the width of the energy distribution by up to 1 MeV.

Recent experimental studies on 252Cf ternary fission

The rare ternary fission (TF) process was hitherto studied mainly by inclusive measurements of the energies and fractional yields of the light charged particles (LCPs) from fission, or by experiments on the angular and energy correlation between LCPs and fission fragments (FF). The present article briefly describes a series of recent correlation measurements on 252Cf(sf) TF that include either the registration of neutrons and γ rays with LCPs and FFs, or the coincident registration of two LCPs. The population of excited states in LCPs has been identified, as well as the formation of neutron-unstable nuclei as short-lived intermediated LCPs, the sequential decay of particle-unstable LCP species into charged particle pairs, and “quaternary” fission with the emission of two charged particles right at scission.