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239Pu prompt fission neutron spectra

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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.

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Translated from Atomnaya Énergiya, Vol. 103, No. 2, pp. 119–124, August, 2007.

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Maslov, V.M. 239Pu prompt fission neutron spectra. At Energy 103, 633–640 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10512-007-0101-4

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