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Prompt Fission Neutron Spectra of 240Pu(n, F), 239Pu(n, F), and 238U(n, F)

  • PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND ATOMIC NUCLEI. THEORY
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Abstract

Pre-fission neutron spectra are indicators of the distribution of fission reaction energy between the kinetic energy of fragments and prompt fission neutrons. Using the 240Pu(n, F), 239Pu(n, F), and 238U(n, F) reactions as an example, it is shown how the shape of the observed prompt fission neutron spectra (PFNS) depends on the fissility (fission probability) of compound and residual nuclei. A correlation of this effect with the contributions of the (n, xnf) emission fission to the observed fission cross section and the competition of the (n, nγ) and (n, xn)1,...x reactions is established. The exclusive spectra of the (n, xnf)1,...x neutrons correspond to the consistent description of the observed cross sections for the 240Pu(n, F), 239Pu(n, F), 238Pu(n, F), 237Pu(n, F), and 236Pu(n, F) fission reactions, as well as 239Pu(n, xn) neutron emission spectra for neutrons with energies up to 20 MeV. The initial values of the model parameters for describing the 240Pu(n, F) PFNS are fixed when describing the prompt neutron spectra of 240Pu(sf) spontaneous fission. Taking into account the influence of the exclusive spectra of 240Pu (n, xnf)1,...x prefission neutrons, the prompt fission neutron spectra, the total kinetic energy (TKE) of fragments and fission products, and the average number of 240Pu(n, F) prompt fission neutrons are predicted.

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    V. M. Maslov

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Maslov, V.M. Prompt Fission Neutron Spectra of 240Pu(n, F), 239Pu(n, F), and 238U(n, F). Phys. Part. Nuclei Lett. 20, 565–576 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1134/S1547477123040490

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