Simultaneous measurement of neutron-induced capture and fission reactions at CERN

Guerrero, C.; Berthoumieux, E.; Cano Ott, D.; Mendoza, E.; Andriamonje, S.; Andrzejewski, J.; Audouin, L.; Barbagallo, M.; Bécares, V.; Bečvář, F.; Belloni, F.; Billowes, J.; Brugger, M.; Calviani, M.; Calviño, F.; Carrapiço, C.; Cerutti, F.; Chiaveri, E.; Chin, M.; Colonna, N.; Cortés, G.; Cortés Giraldo, M.; Diakaki, M.; Dillmann, I.; Domingo Pardo, C.; Duran, I.; Eleftheriadis, C.; Fernández Ordóñez, M.; Ferrari, A.; Ganesan, S.; Giubrone, G.; Gómez Hornillos, M.; Gonçalves, I.; González Romero, E.; Gramegna, F.; Griesmayer, E.; Gunsing, F.; Jenkins, D.; Jericha, E.; Kadi, Y.; Käppeler, F.; Karadimos, D.; Kroll, J.; Krtička, M.; Lebbos, E.; Lederer, C.; Leeb, H.; Losito, R.; Lozano, M.; Manousos, A.; Marganiec, J.; Marrone, S.; Martinez, T.; Massimi, Cristian; Mastinu, P.; Meaze, M.; Mengoni, A.; Milazzo, P.; Paradela, C.; Pavlik, A.; Perkowski, J.; Plag, R.; Praena, J.; Quesada, J.; Rauscher, T.; Reifarth, R.; Roman, F.; Rubbia, C.; Sarmento, R.; Tagliente, G.; Tain, J.; Tarrío, D.; Tassan Got, L.; Tsinganis, A.; Vannini, Gianni; Variale, V.; Vaz, P.; Ventura, A.; Vermeullen, M.; Vlachoudis, V.; Vlastou, R.; Wallner, A.; Ware, T.; Weiß, C.; Wright, T.

doi:10.1140/epja/i2012-12029-2

The measurement of the capture cross-section of fissile elements, of utmost importance for the design of innovative nuclear reactors and the management of nuclear waste, faces particular difficulties related to the -ray background generated in the competing fission reactions. At the CERN neutron time-of-flight facility n_TOF we have combined the Total Absorption Calorimeter (TAC) capture detector with a set of three 235 U loaded MicroMegas (MGAS) fission detectors for measuring simultaneously two reactions: capture and fission. The results presented here include the determination of the three detection efficiencies involved in the process: , and . In the test measurement we have succeeded in measuring simultaneously with a high total efficiency the 235 U capture and fission cross-sections, disentangling accurately the two types of reactions. The work presented here proves that accurate capture cross-section measurements of fissile isotopes are feasible at n_TOF.

Guerrero C., Berthoumieux E., Cano-Ott D., Mendoza E., Andriamonje S., Andrzejewski J., et al. (2012). Simultaneous measurement of neutron-induced capture and fission reactions at CERN. THE EUROPEAN PHYSICAL JOURNAL. A, HADRONS AND NUCLEI, 48, 1-9 [10.1140/epja/i2012-12029-2].