No Arabic abstract
Prompt fission $gamma$-rays are responsible for approximately 5% of the total energy released in fission, and therefore important to understand when modelling nuclear reactors. In this work we present prompt $gamma$-ray emission characteristics in fission, for the first time as a function of the nuclear excitation energy of the fissioning system. Emitted $gamma$-ray spectra were measured, and $gamma$-ray multiplicities and average and total $gamma$ energies per fission were determined for the $^{233}$U(d,pf) reaction for excitation energies between 4.8 and 10 MeV, and for the $^{239}$Pu(d,pf) reaction between 4.5 and 9 MeV. The spectral characteristics show no significant change as a function of excitation energy above the fission barrier, despite the fact that an extra $sim$5 MeV of energy is potentially available in the excited fragments for $gamma$-decay. The measured results are compared to model calculations made for prompt $gamma$-ray emission with the fission model code GEF. Further comparison with previously obtained results from thermal neutron induced fission is made to characterize possible differences arising from using the surrogate (d,p) reaction.
The Oslo Method has been applied to particle-$gamma$ coincidences following the $^{239}mathrm{Pu}$(d,p) reaction to obtain the nuclear level density (NLD) and $gamma$-ray strength function ($gamma$SF) of $^{240}mathrm{Pu}$. The experiment was conducted with a 12 MeV deuteron beam at the Oslo Cyclotron Laboratory. The low spin transfer of this reaction leads to a spin-parity mismatch between populated and intrinsic levels. This is a challenge for the Oslo Method as it can have a significant impact on the extracted NLD and $gamma$SF. We have developed an iterative approach to ensure consistent results even for cases with a large spin-parity mismatch, in which we couple Greens Function Transfer calculations of the spin-parity dependent population cross-section to the nuclear decay code RAINIER. The resulting $gamma$SF shows a pronounced enhancement between 2-4 MeV that is consistent with the location of the low-energy orbital $M1$ scissors mode.
In this paper we present the first systematic analysis of the impact of the populated vs. intrinsic spin distribution on the nuclear level density and $gamma$-ray strength function retrieved through the Oslo Method. We illustrate the effect of the spin distribution on the recently performed $^{239}mathrm{Pu}$(d,p$gamma$)$^{240}mathrm{Pu}$ experiment using a 12 MeV deuteron beam performed at the Oslo Cyclotron Lab. In the analysis we couple state-of-the-art calculations for the populated spin-distributions with the Monte-Carlo nuclear decay code RAINIER to compare Oslo Method results to the known input. We find that good knowledge of the populated spin distribution is crucial and show that the populated distribution has a significant impact on the extracted nuclear level density and $gamma$-ray strength function for the $^{239}mathrm{Pu}$(d,p$gamma$)$^{240}mathrm{Pu}$ case.
The existence of a new force beyond the Standard Model is compelling because it could explain several striking astrophysical observations which fail standard interpretations. We searched for the light vector mediator of this dark force, the $mathrm{U}$ boson, with the KLOE detector at the DA$Phi$NE $mathrm{e}^{+}mathrm{e}^{-}$ collider. Using an integrated luminosity of 1.54 fb$^{-1}$, we studied the process $mathrm{e}^{+}mathrm{e}^{-} to mathrm{U}gamma$, with $mathrm{U} to mathrm{e}^{+}mathrm{e}^{-}$, using radiative-return to search for a resonant peak in the dielectron invariant-mass distribution. We did not find evidence for a signal, and set a 90%~CL upper limit on the mixing strength between the Standard Model photon and the dark photon, $varepsilon^2$, at $10^{-6}$--$10^{-4}$ in the 5--520~MeV/c$^2$ mass range.
The average prompt-fission-neutron multiplicity $bar{ u}$ is of significance in the areas of nuclear theory, nuclear nonproliferation, and nuclear energy. In this work, the surrogate-reaction method has been used for the first time to indirectly determine $bar{ u}$ for $^{239}$Pu($n$,$f$) via $^{240}$Pu($alpha$,$alpha^{prime}f$) reactions. A $^{240}$Pu target was bombarded with a beam of 53.9-MeV $alpha$ particles. Scattered $alpha$ particles, fission products, and neutrons were measured with the NeutronSTARS detector array. Values of $bar{ u}$ were obtained for a continuous range of equivalent incident neutron energies between 0.25--26.25~MeV, and the results agree well with direct neutron measurements.
High statistics measurements of the photon asymmetry $mathrm{Sigma}$ for the $overrightarrow{gamma}$p$rightarrowpi^{0}$p reaction have been made in the center of mass energy range W=1214-1450 MeV. The data were measured with the MAMI A2 real photon beam and Crystal Ball/TAPS detector systems in Mainz, Germany. The results significantly improve the existing world data and are shown to be in good agreement with previous measurements, and with the MAID, SAID, and Bonn-Gatchina predictions. We have also combined the photon asymmetry results with recent cross-section measurements from Mainz to calculate the profile functions, $check{mathrm{Sigma}}$ (= $sigma_{0}mathrm{Sigma}$), and perform a moment analysis. Comparison with calculations from the Bonn-Gatchina model shows that the precision of the data is good enough to further constrain the higher partial waves, and there is an indication of interference between the very small $F$-waves and the $N(1520) 3/2^{-}$ and $N(1535) 1/2^{-}$ resonances.