Nuclear Reactions in Heavy Elements. A Data Handbook

460 Pages·1980·8.19 MB·English

by  V. M. Gorbachev, Y. S. Zamyatnin and A. A. Lbov (Auth.)

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NUCLEAR REACTIONS IN
HEAVY ELEMENTS
A Data Handbook
by
V. M. Gorbachev
Y. S. Zamyatnin
A. A. Lbov
PERGAMON PRESS
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Copyright © 1980 Atomizdat and Pergamon Press Ltd.
All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be
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cop y rig ht holders.
First edition 1980
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
Gorbachev, Valentin Matveevich
Nuclear reactions in heavy elements.
1. Nuclear reactions - Handbooks, manuals, etc.
2. Heavy particles (Nuclear physics) -
Handbooks, manuals, etc.
I. Title II. Lbov, Aleksandr Aleksandrovich
III. Zamiatnin, lurri Sergeevich
539.754 QC794 79-40928
ISBN 0-08-023595-6
Printed and bound in Great Britain by
William Clowes (Beccles) Limited,
Beccles and London
PREFACE
The rapid development of nuclear power and technology has led to a greatly increased
interest in the heaviest elements in Mendeleyev's periodic system: thorium, uranium,
plutonium and the trans-plutonium elements. This interest is due mainly to the spreading
applications of these elements during recent years.
The characteristics of interactions of radiation with nuclei of the heavy elements (i.e.
those with Z > 90), including fission of heavy nuclei, is of considerable importance for
the solution of practical problems. It is, therefore, believed that it will be useful to present
in one handbook a systematic compilation of the large number of data on cross sections
of the interactions of radiation (neutrons, 7- rays, charged particles) with nuclei of heavy
metals (2 > 90), and on the characteristics of the fission process (energies liberated in
fission, yeilds of fission products and their distribution with regard to mass, γ-rays and
neutrons given off in fission, etc) which have been accumulated up to the present date.
It must be said that much of the material relating to the topic of the present book
may be found in Russian and foreign monographs and reviews. But because it is scattered
over many publications it cannot easily be used. Moreover, most of the monographs were
published ten or more years ago, and since that time many new experimental data have
appeared in scientific periodicals.
Some of the data contained in the present book have never been presented in a
systematic way (for instance: the characteristics of the ternary fission process, the energies
liberated in fission, the range of fission fragments, etc). It therefore seemed desirable to
combine in one handbook all published data concerning the basic characteristics of the
interactions of radiation with heavy nuclei with data on nuclear fission.
This volume may thus be considered as the second part of the book Basic character-
istics of isotopes of heavy elements by the same authors, which was published by
"Atomizdat" in 1970 (new edition, 1975) and provides the physical constants of the
elements, the properties of isotopes and data on radio-active decay, and also describes
methods for obtaining heavy elements.
The present handbook consists of nine chapters. Chapter 1 contains data on neutron
cross-sections. Chapters 2 and 3 provide information on cross-sections of photo-reactions
and of interactions of charged particles with nuclei.
In Chapter 4 are given some general characteristics of the fission process. Chapter 5
contains the basic characteristics of spontaneous fission of heavy nuclei. Chapter 6
provides generalised characteristics of binary fission of heavy nuclei: energies and yields
of fission fragments, their distribution with regard to mass, the range of the fragments.
Chapter 7 is devoted to ternary fission. Chapters 8 and 9 contain data on different kinds
of radiation accompanying the fission process: secondary fission neutrons, delayed neu-
trons, γ-rays and x-rays.
2 3 5 2 3 8
Among the isotopes for which data are given are such important ones as U, U
2 3 9
and Pu, which are of special interest for nuclear and technology and physics. Experi-
mental data describing the fission process not only form the basis for the utilisation of
nuclear power but are also of great significance in developing the theory of nuclear fission.
The data provided here will be of use to physicists working in research and also to
designers and operators of nuclear reactors.
5
The ever-growing number of new data makes it more and more difficult to produce
such a new monograph on physical constants. In view of the enormous volume and variety
of the material, and also because this is the first attempt to bring together most published
data on the interactions of radiation with heavy nuclei and on nuclear fission, there may
well be some short-comings in the individual sections. The authors will be grateful for
critical comments and recommendations.
Chapters 1 and 8 have been prepared by V. M. Gorbachev, Chapters 3, 5 and 9 by
T. S. Zamyatnin, Chapters 2, 6 and 7 by A. A. Lbov, and Chapter 4 jointly by all three
authors. We are grateful to E. F. Fomushkin and T. A. Khokhlov for useful recommend-
ations and advice.
PARTI
INTERACTIONS OF RADIATION WITH HEAVY NUCLEI
CHAPTER 1
NEUTRON CROSS-SECTIONS
§ 1.1. INTRODUCTION
Interaction of neutrons with nuclei of the heavy elements causes various nuclear
transmutations. The character of these is determined by the internal structure of the
nucleus and by the energy of the incident neutron. In general one may distinguish between
scattering processes in which the neutron undergoes an elastic or non-elastic collision
with the nucleus, and absorption processes in which absorption of the neutron is accom-
panied by secondary radiation. We shall be using a nomenclature similar to that given in
the bibliographical handbook CINDA*.
The total result of an interaction can be represented as the sum of the effects of
elastic scattering and non-elastic reactions, or else as the sum of neutron sacttering effects
(elastic + inelastic) and of the neutron absorption effect. Non-elastic reactions include
inelastic scattering and absorption of the neutron.
Thus the cross-sections of neutron reactions are defined as follows:
<j = σΛ,η - j - σχ = σ - j - σ — total cross-section;
os = Gn,n -J- σ„ , - scattering cross-section;
ox= on n, - j - σ - cross-section of inelastic reactions;
σ σ σ σ σ
oabs = ort,f-f-o„,2rt + «.*« + «."Ρ + Λ, 7 + ^ ' Ρ + σ«,ίί4- η,α + ··· -absorp-
tion cross-section.
Cross-section of processes leading to neutron emission:
V <
0Em = Onn, -f- 2ort,2/t+ 3ση,3„ -f- W + Qn,np-\- ... .
Cross-section of processes with neutron production:
σ σ σ
Ρ = « . » + Ειη·
Here on n9 σ , - elastic and inelastic neutron scattering cross-sections respectively;
o „ , σ ., - cross-sections of (w,2n), (w,2n) reactions respectively; σ f - fission
cross-section; on - radiative absorption cross-sections; onp, and, ση α , σ η np
cross-sections of the reactions (n,p), (n,d), (η,α), (η,ηρ) . . . respectively; ϊ?- mean number
of neutrons by fission.
*Goldstein H.: "Nomenclature Scheme for Experimental Monoenergetic Nuclear Cross Sections",
Fast Neutron Physics, Vol. II, p. 2227, N.Y. Interscience, 1963.
7
The diagram below illustrates the connection between the neutron cross sections.
u
tot
Total
nonelastic interaction
Total scattering
I
Absorption
v u
n, n n.n
Elastic Inelastic
scattering scattering
i — ι — I — i — i
σ σ σ
°n,f η,2η η,3η η,ηρ . .
"n, y
H —
σ
η,ρ °n,d °n,a
Charged
particles
Reactions with preservation of neutron Reactions with disappearance
of neutron
This chapter provides data on neutron interactions with nuclei of the heavy elements
(Z > 90): cross-sections for thermal neutrons, cross-sections of reactions caused by fast
neutrons and the characteristics of elastic and inelastic neutron scattering.
The experimental data on the energy dependence of neutron reactions and of other
parameters are shown in diagrams (most of them following Neutron Cross Sections,
V.III,BNL-325, Second Edition, Suppl. 2, 1965. Authors J. R. Stehn et al) mainly for
energies above the resonance region.* In the captions to these figures references are
given to papers from which no data have been included in the diagrams.
If not mentioned otherwise, all data are quoted from primary sources without any
alteration. For each type of interaction the material is arranged in order of increasing
atom numbers Z, and for a given Zin order of increasing mass numbers A.
References are given separately for each type of interaction. Less reliable values are
shown in brackets.
§ 1.2. THERMAL NEUTRON CROSS-SECTIONS
AND RESONANCE INTEGRALS
The tables in this section contain experimental values of neutron cross-sections for
reactions in the thermal energy region, and also resonance integrals for fission and capture.
Table 1.1 shows the total cross sections ato t , scattering cross sections os, and (η,α) -
reaction cross-sections for nuclei with Z > 90. The half-life of each isotope is also given.
The material in the table is arranged as follows: surname of first author and reference
number - column 1, year when the work has been carried out (published) - column 2,
total cross-sections - column 3, scattering cross-sections - column 4, (η,α) - reactions
*Data relating to the resonance region of energies may be found for instance in the table by
V. M. Gorbachev, Y. S. Zamyatnin, A. A. Lbov "Characteristics of isolated resonance levels" in
Yadernye konstanty, No. 16, Atomizdat, 1974, y>. 121 (see also [300] ).
8
cross-sections - column 5. Often given in column 4 are the potential cross-section os t
and the coherent cross-section os c o h as well as the amplitude of scattering a (in units of
13
Fermi; 1 Fermi = 10Γ cm).
Column 6 contains short comments on the neutron energy distribution employed in
the experiments together with information on the standards that have been used. The
following relative classification has been adopted: the index 0 applies to mono-energetic
neutrons with a velocity of 2200 m/s; MS - thermal neutron spectrum with Maxwellian
velocity distribution; SK (subcadmium)- applies to differential measurements performed
with and without a cadmium shield; RS (reactor spectrum) - to a spectrum where the
proportion of thermal neutrons depends on the position of the sample in the reactor.
Table 1.2 has a similar lay-out as table 1.1, and contains values of fission cross-sections
(column 3) and capture cross-sections (column 4). In many works (e.g. [2] ) values are
given of activation cross-sections obtained by measuring the radioactivity of an irradiated
sample arising from capture of a thermal neutron which is followed by j3-decay of the
produced isotope. In table 1.2 these cross-sections are incorporated in the column for
radiative capture cross-sections (if the half-life of the measured activity corresponds to
the half-life of the isotope that has been produced). In some cases we show in column 3
and 4 also the values a t o t and aabs = σ/+ σ5.
The resonance integrals for fission If and capture Ic are given in columns 5 and 6
respectively.
The resonance integral for an infinite dilution is determined as
P
M3KC
nop
where i - index of the given process ( / - fission, c - capture).
The resonance integral accounts for the cross-section component proportional to \\V
(the deviation from 1/Fis discussed separately). The values of Ehm and # m a x depend on
the experimental conditions; # l i m - the limiting energy (the energy corresponding to a
given thickness, for instance of a cadmium filter). The contribution of the high energy
region of ot (E) in the resonance integral is insignificant; it may therefore be assumed
t h a t f
m a x ^ ° ° ·
Apart from original data, recommended values are also given in the tables and the
respective source is indicated. The original data on cross-sections are arranged in chrono-
logical order.
It is worth mentioning that for a Maxwellian spectrum in a reactor the cross-section
can be expressed by the equation
where T- the temperature of the moderator (K), T0 = 293.6 K, g - the so called Westcott
factor (or g - factor) which determines the deviation of the σ (JE) curve from the \/\/E
law.
If the normalisation f the g-factor is changed so that g = f(T0,t) we may write
o = go0.
Numerical values of the g-factor for indifferent temperatures may be found, for
instance, in references [303, 345-347].
Table 1.1
Cross-section for thermal neutrons (total cross-sections atot, scattering cross-sections as and cross-sections for (n, q) reactions an a)
Reference Year <rtot, barn os, barn °n. a» Standard used, experimental conditions (σ, barn)
in barn
2 3 0
Th(r=76 000 yr)
Kalebin,S.M. [149] 1967 70+3 13+4 0
55±1 SK
Kalebin, S.M. [330] 1968 70,0+3, 8 0
5 2
Kalebin,S.M. [331] 1969 71,8+2
V H ± 0
232 1 0
Th (7=n41.10 yr)
Rayburn [18] 1 1951 12,36+0,15 — 1 £ n = l , 4 6 eV
Hibdon [19] , 1951 16,9 — MS
Shull [20] 1951 12,8 — 0
Shull [22] 1951 — °skor?=12,8±l,0 — 0
(tfkon=+l0,l + l Fermi)
Roof[21] 1962 — — £Λ=0,042 eV
(a==+y, 8+0,1 Fermi)
Rayburn [332] 1965 13,28+0,06 12,4
— £„=1,44 eV
Green [308] 1974 — 12,78+0,30 — as(Va)=5,02±0,10
Recommended [1] 1965 — *skoh=12,1+0,2 —
K o h = + 9 , 8 + 0 , l Fermi)
Recommended [300] 1973 1 20,07+0,11 j os
koh=12,67+0,08
(i?koh=lü,08+0,04 Fermi)
23ipa(r=32480 yr)
Simpson [25] 1 1962 211+2 — — 1 0
Recommended [300] 1973 211+4
— —
238
Pa (7=27,4 days)
4
Simpson [29] 1964 57ί 3
Simpson [242] 1967 55+3 0
Recommended [300] 1973 55+3
U
nat .
Shull [20] 1951 0
<^koh=?.° o
Atoji [37] 1961 "skoh=9.7+1.2 £
rt=0,0735eV;
( a=+8 ,78+0 ,56 Fermi) °skoh(Ni)=13,2+0,2
(a(N'l)=+10,3 Fermi);
askoh(C)=5i50±O,04
(fl(C)=+6,R2 Fermi);
Roof[21] 1962 °skoh=8,9+0,4 £
n=0,042 eV
(rt-=+8,4+0,2 Fermi) (A(Ni)=+10,3 Fermi);
Recommended [1] 1965 <»skoh=9.0+0,4
( a - + 8 , 4 + 0 , 2 Fermi)
23 2
U (7^=72 yr)
Berreth [38] 1963 168+17 0; review [ 1 ]
Simpson [154] 1967 163+10 0
Recommended [1] 1965 168+17
Recommended [300] 1973 163+10 14,7
233
U (Γ=1,59·10* yr)
Muzer (from values in [ 151 ] 1954 597,0+14,0 0
Nikitin, S. Ya. [45] 1955 580+20 0
Lynn [333] 1955 610+9 0
600,0+17,0 0;review [151] (auth. 590+15)
Pattenden [44] 19bb
587,0+4,7 0;review [151] (auth. 587+6)
Simpson [43] I960 2 3 3
585,5+5,8 0 (solution UinD20); review [151] 1]
Safford [42] I960
(auth. 587+5)
585,4+2,4 0 (metallic sample); review [151] (auth. 586 + 2)
Block [41] 1960 587+3 11+2 0
Sjostrand [135] 1960 12,4+1,4 0
Green [308] 1974 12,30+0,70 os (Va) = 5 , 0 2 + 0 , 1 0
Recommended [1] 1965 586+2 0
Recommended [151] 1969 10,7+1,8 0
Recommended [300] 1973 587,0+1,3 8,2+2,0