Abstract
Calculations of 239Pu(n, F) prompt fission neutron spectra have been performed for neutron energy up to 20 MeV. The exclusive spectra of pre-fission neutron reactions (n, xnf) were calculated on the basis of the Hauser-Feshbach model simultaneously with the cross sections of (n, F) and (n, 2n) reactions. The spectra of neutrons emitted by fission fragments were approximated by a sum of two Watt distributions. The components of the prompt fission neutron spectra due to pre-fission neutrons are manifested in the prompt fission neutron spectra and the average neutron energy. A correlation is established between this effect in the contribution of emissive fission (n, xnf) in the fission cross-section of 239Pu(n, F) and 235U(n, F). It is shown that the 239Pu(n, F) prompt fission neutron spectra used in applied calculations do not correspond to the experimental differential data and the systematic regularities in the spectra and their average energy found for the most carefully studied nuclei 235,238U and 232Th.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Yu. S. Zamyatnin, I. N. Safina, E. K. Gutnikova, and N. I. Ivanova, “Spectra of neutrons formed when 14 MeV neutrons pass through layers of fissile substances,” At. Énerg., 4, No. 4, 337–342 (1958).
R. Howerton and R. Doyas, “Fission temperatures as a function of the average number of neutrons from fission,” Nucl. Sci. Eng., 46, 414–416 (1971).
G. S. Boikov, V. D. Dmitriev, G. A. Kudryaev, et al., “Spectrum of neutrons with fission of 235U by 2.9 MeV and 14.7 MeV neutrons,” At. Énerg., 69, No. 1, 23–27 (1991).
G. N. Smirenkin, G. N. Lovchikova, A. M. Trufanov, et al., “Measurement of the energy spectra of neutrons accompanying emissive fission of 238U,” Yad. Fiz., 59, 1934–1939 (1996).
T. Ethvignot, M. Devlin, R. Drosg, et al., “Prompt fission neutron average energy for 238U(n, f) from threshold to 200 MeV,” Phys. Lett. B, 575, 221–228 (2003).
T. Ethvignot, M. Devlin, H. Duarte, et al., “Neutron multiplicity in the fission of 238U and 235U with neutrons up to 200 MeV,” Phys. Rev. Lett., 94, No. 1, 052701-1–052701-4 (2005).
V. M. Maslov, N. V. Kornilov, A. B. Kagalenko, et al., “Prompt fission neutron spectra of 235U above emissive fission threshold,” Nucl. Phys. A, 760, 274–302 (2005).
V. M. Maslov, Yu. V. Porodzinskij, M. Baba, et al., “Prompt fission neutron spectra of 238U and 232Th above emissive fission threshold,” Phys. Rev. C, 69, 034607(1)–34607(13) (2004).
V. M. Maslov, Yu. V. Porodzinskij, M. Baba, et al., “Prompt fission neutron spectra of 239U(n, f) above emissive fission threshold,” Europhys. J. A, 18, 93–102 (2003).
The JEFF-3.1 Nuclear Data Library, edited by A. Koning, R. Forrest, M. Kellet, et al., OECD NEA No. 6190 (2006).
R. Roussin, P. Young, and R. McKnight, “Current status of ENDF/BVI,” in: Proceedings of International Conference on Nuclear Data for Science and Technology, Gatlinburg, Tennessee, May 9–13, 1994, pp. 692–695.
K. Shibata, T. Kawano, T. Nakagawa, et al., “JENDL-3.2 data library,” J. Nucl. Sci. Tech., 39, 1125–1135 (2002).
“BROND-2. Library of Recommended Evaluating Neutron Data,” Vopr. At. Nauk. Tekh., Ser. Yad. Konst., No. 2, 1–155 (1991).
B. I. Starostov, V. N. Nefedov, and A. A. Boitsov, “Precision measurements of the spectra of prompt neutrons from fission of 252Cf, 233U, 235U, 239Pu in the energy range 0.04–5 MeV,” in: Neutron Physics. 6th All-Union Conference on Neutron Physics, Kiev, October 2–16, 1983, Vol. 2, pp. 285–289.
B. I. Starostov, V. N. Nefedov, and A. A. Boitsov, “Precision measurements of the spectra of prompt neutrons from fission of 252Cf, 233U+n F, 235U+n T, 239Pu+n T in the energy range 2–11 MeV,” ibid., pp. 290–293.
A. A. Boitsov, A. F. Semenov, and B. I. Starostov, “Relative measurements of the spectra of prompt neutrons from fission of 252Cf, 233U+n F, 235U+n T, 239Pu+n T in the energy range 0.01–5 MeV,” ibid., pp. 294–297.
A. Lajtai, J. Kecskemeti, A. Safar, et al., “Prompt neutron spectra for energy range 30 keV–4 MeV from fission of 233U, 235U, and 239Pu induced by thermal neutrons,” in: Proceedings of International Conference on Nuclear Data for Science and Technology, Santa Fe, USA (1985), Vol. 1, pp. 613–616.
S. E. Sukhikh, G. N. Lovchikova, V. A. Vinogradov, et al., “Analysis of the spectra of prompt neutrons from fission plutonium-239 nuclei,” Vopr. At. Nauk. Tekh., Ser. Yad. Konst., No. 3, 106–116 (1989).
H. Knitter, Prompt Fission Neutron Spectra, IAEA, Vienna (1971), pp. 41–77.
J. Knitter. “Measurement of the energy spectrum of prompt neutrons from the fission of 239Pu by 0.215 MeV neutrons,” Atomkernenergie, 26, 76–90 (1975).
P. Johansson, B. Holmqvist, T. Wideling, et al., “Precise measurements of prompt fission neutron spectra of 235U, 238U, and 239Pu,” in: Proceedings of International Conference on Nuclear Cross Sections and Technology, Washington (1975), Vol. 2, pp. 572–575.
V. M. Maslov, “Manifestation of pairing in the cross-section for fission of 238Pu by neutrons,” Yad. Fiz., 63, 214–222 (2000).
V. P. Eismont, “Neutrons from fission of excited nuclei,” At. Énerg., 19, No. 2, 113–116 (1965).
D. Hilscher and H. Rossner, “Dynamics of nuclear fission,” Ann. Phys. Fr., 17, 471–552 (1992).
N. V. Kornilov, A. B. Kagalenko, and F.-J Hambsch, “Calculation of the spectra of prompt fission neutrons on the basis of a new systematics of experimental data,” Yad. Fiz., 62, 209–220 (1999).
F.-J. Hambsch, S. Oberstedt, G. Vladuca, et al., “Prompt fission neutron multiplicity and spectra evaluation in the frame of the multimodal fission model for 237Np(n, f) and 238U(n, f),” Nucl. Phys. A, 709, 85–102 (2002).
V. V. Malinovskii, “Semiempirical calculation of the average number of prompt neutrons,” Vopr. At. Nauk. Tekh., Ser. Yad. Konst., No. 2, 25–40 (1987).
J. Frehaut, A. Bertin, and R. Bois, “Mesure du spectre en energie des neutrons de fission pour la fission de 235U et de 238U induite par des neutrons de 0.6 MeV et de 7 MeV,” in: Neutron Physics. 3rd All-Union Conference on Neutron Physics, Kiev, June 9–13, 1975, Vol. 5, pp. 349–362.
D. Madland and J. Nix, “New calculation of prompt fission neutron spectra and average prompt neutron multiplicities,” Nucl. Sci. Eng., 81, 213–271 (1982).
G. N. Lovchikova, G. N. Smirenkin, A. M. Trufanov, et al., “Energy distributions of secondary neutrons from the reaction (n, f) for the nuclei Th-Pu,” Yad. Fiz., 62, 1551–1561 (1999).
D. Madland, “Total prompt energy release in the neutron-induced fission of 235U, 238U, and 239Pu,” Nucl. Phys. A, 772, 113–137 (2006).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
__________
Translated from Atomnaya Énergiya, Vol. 103, No. 2, pp. 119–124, August, 2007.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Maslov, V.M. 239Pu prompt fission neutron spectra. At Energy 103, 633–640 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10512-007-0101-4
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10512-007-0101-4