arXiv subjects

Cenxi Yuan

Publications and source records attributed to Cenxi Yuan.

27 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2017

The impact of the off-diagonal cross-shell interaction on $^{14}$C

The shell-model investigation is performed to show the impact on the structure of $^{14}$C contributed by the off-diagonal cross-shell interaction, $\langle pp \mid$V$\mid sdsd\rangle$, which represents the mixing between the $0$ and $2\hbarω$ configurations in the $psd$ model space. Observed levels of the positive states in $^{14}$C can be nicely described in $0-4\hbarω$ or a larger model space through the well defined Hamiltonians, YSOX and WBP, with a reduction on the strength of the $\langle pp \mid$V$\mid sdsd\rangle$ interaction in the latter. The observed B(GT) values for $^{14}$C can be generally described by YSOX, while WBP and their modifications on the $\langle pp \mid$V$\mid sdsd\rangle$ interaction fail for some values. Further investigation shows the effect of such interaction on the configuration mixing and occupancy. The present work shows examples on how the off-diagonal cross-shell interaction strongly drives the nuclear structure.

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arXiv2017

Neutronic Analysis on Potential Accident Tolerant Fuel-Cladding Combination U$_3$Si$_2$-FeCrAl

Neutronic performance is investigated for a potential accident tolerant fuel (ATF),which consists of U$_3$Si$_2$ fuel and FeCrAl cladding. In comparison with current UO$_2$-Zr system, FeCrAl has a better oxidation resistance but a larger thermal neutron absorption cross section. U$_3$Si$_2$ has a higher thermal conductivity and a higher uranium density, which can compensate the reactivity suppressed by FeCrAl. Based on neutronic investigations, a possible U$_3$Si$_2$-FeCrAl fuel-cladding systemis taken into consideration. Fundamental properties of the suggested fuel-cladding combination are investigated in a fuel assembly.These properties include moderator and fuel temperature coefficients, control rods worth, radial power distribution (in a fuel rod), and different void reactivity coefficients. The present work proves that the new combination has less reactivity variation during its service lifetime. Although, compared with the current system, it has a little larger deviation on power distribution and a little less negative temperature coefficient and void reactivity coefficient and its control rods worth is less important, variations of these parameters are less important during the service lifetime of fuel. Hence, U$_3$Si$_2$-FeCrAl system is a potential ATF candidate from a neutronic view.

physics.app-ph↗

arXiv2016

Isomerism in the "south-east" of $^{132}$Sn and a predicted neutron-decaying isomer in $^{129}$Pd

Excited states in neutron-rich nuclei located south-east of $^{132}$Sn are investigated by shell-model calculations. A new shell-model Hamiltonian is constructed for the present study. The proton-proton and neutron-neutron interactions of the Hamiltonian are obtained through the existing CD-Bonn $G$ matrix results, while the proton-neutron interaction across two major shells is derived from the monopole based universal interaction plus the M3Y spin-orbit force. The present Hamiltonian can reproduce well the experimental data available in this region, including one-neutron separation energies, level energies and the experimental $B(E2)$ values of isomers in $^{134,136,138}$Sn, $^{130}$Cd, and $^{128}$Pd. New isomers are predicted in this region, $e.g.$ in $^{135}$Sn, $^{131}$Cd, $^{129}$Pd, $^{132,134}$In and $^{130}$Ag, in which almost no excited states are known experimentally yet. In the odd-odd $^{132,134}$In and $^{130}$Ag, the predicted very long $E2$ life-times of the low-lying $5^{-}$ states are discussed, demanding more information on the related proton-neutron interaction. The low-lying states of $^{132}$In are discussed in connection with the recently observed $γ$ rays. The predicted $19/2^{-}$ isomer in $^{129}$Pd could decay by both electromagnetic transitions and neutron emission with comparable partial life-times, making it a good candidate for neutron radioactivity, a decay mode which is yet to be discovered.

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arXiv2016

Uncertainty decomposition method and its application in the liquid drop model

A method is suggested to decompose the statistical and systematic uncertainties from the residues between the calculation of a theoretical model and the observed data. The residues and the parameters of the model can be obtained through the standard statistical fitting procedures. The present work concentrates on the decomposition of the total uncertainty, of which the distribution corresponds to that of the residues. The distribution of the total uncertainty is considered as two normal distributions, statistical and systematic uncertainties. The standard deviation of the statistical part, σstat, is estimated through random parameters distributed around their best fitted values. The two normal distributions are obtained by minimizing the moments of the distribution of the residues with the fixed σstat. The method is applied to the liquid drop model (LD). The statistical and systematic uncertainties are decomposed from the residues of the nuclear binding energies with and without the consideration of the shell effect in LD. The estimated distributions of the statistical and systematic uncertainties can well describe that of the residues. The normal assumption of the distribution of the statistical and systematic uncertainties is examined through various approaches. The comparison between the distributions of the specific nuclei and those of the statistical and systematic uncertainties are consistent with the physical considerations, although the latter two can be obtained without the knowledge of these considerations. Such as, the LD are more suitable to describe the heavy nuclei. The light and heavy nuclei are indeed distributed mostly inside the distributions of the statistical and systematic uncertainties, respectively. The similar situation are also found for the nuclei close to and far from shell. The present method is also performed to nuclei around stability line.

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arXiv2016

Two-nucleon excitation from $p$ to $sd$ shell in $^{12,14}$C

The effect of the two-nucleon excitation from $p$ to $sd$ shell is discussed in $^{12}$C and $^{14}$C in the frame work of shell model. The recently suggested shell-model Hamiltonian YSOX provides an suitable tool to investigate the $2~\hbarω$ excitation in $psd$ region. Because the strength of the $ $ interaction, which represents the interaction between the $0~\hbarω$ and $2~\hbarω$ configurations, is considered in the construction of the YSOX. The level of $^{12}$C is almost independent on the $ $ interaction, but excitation energies of certain states in $^{14}$C are strongly affected by it. Further investigation shows that the percentage of $2~\hbarω$ configuration in these states is quite different from that of the ground state.

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arXiv2016

A simple formula for local burnup based on constant relative reaction rate per nuclei

A simple and analytical formula is suggested to solve the problems of the local burnup and the isotope distributions. The present method considers two extreme conditions of neutrons penetrating the fuel rod. Based on these considerations, the formula is obtained to calculate the reaction rates of $^{235}$U, $^{238}$U, and $^{239}$Pu and straightforward the local burnup and the isotope distributions. Starting from an initial burnup level, the parameters of the formula are fitted to the reaction rates given by a Monte Carlo (MC) calculation. Then the present formula independently gives very similar results as the MC calculation from the starting to high burnup level, but takes just a few minutes. The relative reaction rates are found to be almost independent on the radius (except $(n,γ)$ of $^{238}$U) and the burnup, providing a solid background for the present formula. A more realistic examination is also performed when the fuel rods locate in an assembly. A combination of the present formula and the MC calculation is expected to have a nice balance on the accuracy and the cost on time.

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arXiv2014

Mirror energy difference and the structure of loosely bound proton-rich nuclei around A = 20

The properties of loosely bound proton-rich nuclei around A = 20 are investigated within the framework of nuclear shell model. In these nuclei, the strength of the effective interactions involving the loosely bound proton s1=2 orbit are significantly reduced in comparison with those in their mirror nuclei. We evaluate the reduction of the effective interaction by calculating the monopole-baseduniversal interaction (VMU) in the Woods-Saxon basis. The shell-model Hamiltonian in the sd shell, such as USD, can thus be modified to reproduce the binding energies and energy levels of the weakly bound proton-rich nuclei around A = 20. The effect of the reduction of the effective interaction on the structure and decay properties of these nuclei is also discussed.

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arXiv2012

Shell evolution in neutron-rich carbon isotopes: Unexpected enhanced role of neutron-neutron correlation

Full shell-model diagonalization has been performed to study the structure of neutron-rich nuclei around $^{20}$C. We investigate in detail the roles played by the different monopole components of the effective interaction in the evolution of the N=14 shell in C, N and O isotopes. It is found that the relevant neutron-neutron monopole terms, $V^{nn}_{d_{5/2}d_{5/2}}$ and $V^{nn}_{s_{1/2}s_{1/2}}$, contribute significantly to the reduction of the N=14 shell gap in C and N isotopes in comparison with that in O isotopes. The origin of this unexpectedly large effect, which is comparable with (sometimes even larger than) that caused by the proton-neutron interaction, is related to the enhanced configuration mixing in those nuclei due to many-body correlations. Such a scheme is also supported by the large B(E2) value in the nucleus $^{20}$C which has been measured recently.

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arXiv2012

Shell-model study of boron, carbon, nitrogen and oxygen isotopes based on monopole-based-universal interaction

We study boron, carbon, nitrogen and oxygen isotopes with a newly constructed shell-model Hamiltonian developed from monopole-based-universal interaction ($V_{MU}$). The present Hamiltonian can reproduce well the ground-state energies, energy levels, electric quadrupole properties and spin properties of these nuclei in full psd model space including $(0-3)\hbarω$ excitations. Especially, it correctly describes the drip lines of carbon and oxygen isotopes and the spins of the ground states of $^{10}$B and $^{18}$N while some former interactions such as WBP and WBT fail. We point out that the inclusion of $2\hbarω$ excitations is important in reproducing some of these properties. In the present $(0+2)\hbarω$ calculations small but constant E2 effective charges appear to work quite well. As the inclusion of the $2\hbarω$ model space makes rather minor change, this seems to be related to the smallness of $^{4}$He core. Similarly, the spin g factors are very close to free values. The applicability of tensor and spin-orbit forces in free space, which are taken in the present Hamiltonian, is examined in shell model calculations.

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