SearcharxivSearch

arXiv · 2109.08178

Evaluation of $^{86}$Kr Cross Sections For Use in Fusion Diagnostics

Abstract

The National Ignition Facility at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory uses $^{86}$Kr as a diagnostic tool to measure the neutron flux produced by fusion reactions. As krypton is chemically inert, it can be implanted directly into the fuel capsule, and the reaction products can be measured to determine the flux of fusion neutrons. $^{86}$Kr cross sections also provide model constraints for the $^{85}$Kr branching point in the s-process and the neutron flux in stars. In this work, experimental data on the neutron production, radiative capture, inelastic scattering, and total cross sections of $^{86}$Kr were used in conjunction with the fast region nuclear reaction code EMPIRE and a new resonance-region evaluation to produce a new evaluation of neutron-induced reactions on $^{86}$Kr. For the EMPIRE calculations, we fitted the optical model potential up to 12 MeV to simultaneously reproduce the experimental data for the total cross section and the main inelastic gamma transition from the $2^+$ state to the $0^+$ ground state. For energies above 12 MeV, due to large fluctuations and uncertainties in the total cross section data, we preferred to adopt the Koning-Delaroche global spherical optical model potential. With these models and corrections to the structure of $^{86}$Kr, the evaluated cross sections matched the experimental data. The new evaluation has been submitted for incorporation in the next release of the ENDF/B nuclear reaction library.

Explore related subjects

Keep this discovery

BibTeXRIS

M. Vorabbi, G. P. A. Nobre, D. A. Brown, A. M. Lewis, E. Rubino, S. Mughabghab. 2021-09-16. Evaluation of $^{86}$Kr Cross Sections For Use in Fusion Diagnostics. https://arxiv.org/abs/2109.08178

Cite the original work for its findings. Save a collection to share your selection of sources.

KEEP EXPLORING

Related papers

Reinvestigation of the Yield of the Trinity Device

Previous published analyses of trinitite to determine the yield of the Trinity nuclear explosion used various estimates of the fraction of fission products that became incorporated in trinitite. Furthermore, these studies utilized nuclear data that has subsequently been revised. Utilizing a planar germanium detector, we observed gamma rays produced by the decays of both 137Cs and 239Pu from four samples of trinitite. From the observed 137Cs/239Pu ratios of and a simple analysis method based on current nuclear data and weapons debris studies, we find an average yield of 9.1+-4.5 kilotons from our four samples. While this result is substantially lower than the established total yield of 21 kilotons, it is in reasonable agreement that attributable to fissions in the 239Pu core alone.

nucl-ex

Search for neutrinoless quadruple beta decay of $^{136}$Xe in PandaX-4T detector

The observation of neutrinoless quadruple beta decay (0$\nu$4$\beta$) in the absence of neutrinoless double beta decay (0$\nu$2$\beta$) has been argued to provide a strong indication that neutrinos are Dirac particles. We report a search for 0$\nu$4$\beta$ decay of $^{136}\text{Xe}$ using a total $^{136}\text{Xe}$ exposure of 148.4 kg$\cdot$yr, collected during the commissioning and the first science runs of the PandaX-4T experiment. No significant excess of events over the background is observed. A lower limit on the 0$\nu$4$\beta$ decay half-life of $^{136}\text{Xe}$ is set at 6.01 x $10^{24}$ yr at the 90% confidence level. This result establishes the most stringent constraint on this process in xenon, demonstrating the unique capability of the PandaX-4T detector in probing lepton number violation and shedding light on the fundamental nature of neutrinos.

nucl-ex

Island of Inversion in neutron-rich cobalt isotopes revealed from mass measurements

Mass measurements of the ground and isomeric states of $^{68-70}$Co have been performed using the JYFLTRAP Penning-trap mass spectrometer at the IGISOL facility. The masses were measured, either for the first time for the isomeric states of $^{68}$Co and $^{70}$Co, or with greatly improved precision for the others, removing ambiguities in the mass surface beyond $N=40$. The ordering of the low and high-spin states in $^{68}$Co and $^{70}$Co has also been established. The results, supported by Large-Scale Shell Model and Discrete Non-Orthogonal Shell-Model calculations, show a gradual lowering of intruder states with increasing neutron number, eventually leading to an inversion in $^{70}$Co. These findings clarify previously proposed contradictory interpretations. Finally, we demonstrate the importance of including induced effective 3N forces for a consistent description of binding energies in the island of inversion near $N=40$.

nucl-ex