| 1. |
- Salvador-Castiñeira, P., et al.
(author)
-
Neutron-induced fission cross section of Pu 240 from 0.5 MeV to 3 MeV
- 2015
-
In: Physical Review C. Nuclear Physics. - : American Physical Society (APS). - 0556-2813 .- 1089-490X. ; 92:1
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Pu240 has recently been pointed out by a sensitivity study of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA) to be one of the isotopes whose fission cross section lacks accuracy to meet the upcoming needs for the future generation of nuclear power plants (GEN-IV). In the High Priority Request List (HPRL) of the OECD, it is suggested that the knowledge of the Pu240(n,f) cross section should be improved to an accuracy within 1-3 %, compared to the present 5%. A measurement of the Pu240 cross section has been performed at the Van de Graaff accelerator of the Joint Research Center (JRC) Institute for Reference Materials and Measurements (IRMM) using quasi-monoenergetic neutrons in the energy range from 0.5 MeV to 3 MeV. A twin Frisch-grid ionization chamber (TFGIC) has been used in a back-to-back configuration as fission fragment detector. The Pu240(n,f) cross section has been normalized to three different isotopes: Np237(n,f), 235U(n,f), and 238U(n,f). Additionally, the secondary standard reactions were benchmarked through measurements against the primary standard reaction 235U(n,f) in the same geometry. A comprehensive study of the corrections applied to the data and the associated uncertainties is given. The results obtained are in agreement with previous experimental data at the threshold region. For neutron energies higher than 1 MeV, the results of this experiment are slightly lower than the ENDF/B-VII.1 evaluation, but in agreement with the experiments of Laptev et al. (2004) as well as Staples and Morley (1998).
|
|
| 2. |
- Salvador-Castiñeira, P., et al.
(author)
-
Neutron-induced fission cross sections of Pu 242 from 0.3 MeV to 3 MeV
- 2015
-
In: Physical Review C. Nuclear Physics. - : American Physical Society. - 0556-2813 .- 1089-490X. ; 92:4
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The majority of the next generation of nuclear power plants (GEN-IV) will work in the fast-neutron-energy region, as opposed to present day thermal reactors. This leads to new and more accurate nuclear-data needs for some minor actinides and structural materials. Following those upcoming demands, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development Nuclear Energy Agency performed a sensitivity study. Based on the latter, an improvement in accuracy from the present 20% to 5% is required for the Pu242(n,f) cross section. Within the same project both the Pu240(n,f) cross section and the Pu242(n,f) cross section were measured at the Van de Graaff accelerator of the Joint Research Centre at the Institute for Reference Materials and Measurements, where quasimonoenergetic neutrons were produced in an energy range from 0.3 MeV up to 3 MeV. A twin Frisch-grid ionization chamber has been used in a back-to-back configuration as fission-fragment detector. The Pu242(n,f) cross section has been normalized to three different isotopes: Np237(n,f), U235(n,f), and U238(n,f). A comprehensive study of the corrections applied to the data and the uncertainties associated is given. The results obtained are in agreement with previous experimental data at the threshold region up to 0.8 MeV. The resonance-like structure at 0.8 to 1.1 MeV, visible in the evaluations and in most previous experimental values, was not reproduced with the same intensity in this experiment. For neutron energies higher than 1.1 MeV, the results of this experiment are slightly lower than the Evaluated Nuclear Data File/B-VII.1 evaluation but in agreement with the experiment of Tovesson et al. (2009) as well as Staples and Morley (1998). Finally, for energies above 1.5 MeV, the results show consistency with the present evaluations.
|
|
