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Abstract: The scientific interest in the resonance neutron induced capture and fission reactions on 239Pu is continuously rising during the last decade. From a practical point of view, this is because more precise data on capture and fission cross sections, fission fragment mass and kinetic energy distributions, variation of prompt fission neutron and gamma yields in the resonance neutron region, are needed for the modelling of new generation nuclear power plants and for nuclear spent fuel and waste transmutation. From a heuristic and fundamental point of view, such a research improves our knowledge and understanding of the fission phenomena itself. To achieve these goals more powerful neutron sources and more precise fission product detectors have to be used. At the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research (JINR) Frank Laboratory of Neutron Physics (FLNP), where already half a century the thermal and resonance neutron induced nuclear reactions are studied, a new electron accelerator driven white spectrum pulsed neutron source IREN has been built and successfully tested. The improved characteristics of this facility, in comparison with those of the former pulse neutron fast reactor IBR-30, will allow measuring some of the neutron-nuclear reaction data with better precision and accuracy. A new experimental setup for detecting gamma rays (and neutrons) has been designed and is under construction. It will consist of 2 rings (arrays) of 12 NaI(Tl) detectors each (or 1 array of 24 detectors) with variable ring diameter and distance between both rings. Such a setup will make possible not only to measure the multiplicity, energy and angular anisotropy of prompt fission gammas, but also to separate the contribution of prompt fission neutrons by their longer time-of-flight from the fissile target to the detectors. The signals from all the 24 detectors will be recorded simultaneously in digitized form and will be stored on the hard disk of the personal computer for further off-line analysis. The measurement of the prompt gamma-ray emission from 239Pu resonance neutron induced fission is one of the most probable candidates for the first experiments to be performed at IREN using the newly designed gamma-ray detector. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: We measured the neutron total cross-sections of natural xenon in the neutron energy region from 0.1 to 40eV by using the time-of-flight method at the Pohang neutron facility, which consists of an electron linear accelerator, a water-cooled tantalum target with a water moderator, and a 12-m long time-of-flight path. A 6Li–ZnS(Ag) scintillator with a diameter of 12.5cm and a thickness of 1.6cm was used as a neutron detector. Notch filters composed of Co, In, Cd were used to estimate the background level and to calculate the neutron flight path length. The present measurement was compared with the existing experimental and the evaluated data. The resonance parameters of Xe isotopes were obtained from the transmission ratio by using the SAMMY code and were compared with other previous results. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

A test of polarization of 3He nuclei via spin-exchange collisions with optically pumped rubidium atoms in an extremely low applied magnetic field was carried out. Permalloy magnetic shields were used to prevent a fast relaxation of 3He polarization owing to the inhomogeneity of a surrounding magnetic field. The whole installation was placed at the neutron beam line of the IBR-30 facility, and used as a neutron spin filter. Thus, a prototype of new design of neutron polarizer was introduced. We intend to apply this experience for the full-scale KaTRIn facility to test the time reversal violation in neutron-nuclear reactions. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: A mobile polarized 3He neutron spin filter was developed for both optical pumping and transportation, and the polarization of 3He was measured with cold neutrons of HANARO in KAERI. The progress of polarization build-up during the optical pumping of the 3He cell was observed by adiabatic fast-passage NMR system. The 3He cell was made of an alumino-silicate glass GE-180 with a cylindrical shape of 40mm in diameter and 60mm in length from KEK. A cell contained 5.74bar⋅cm of 3He gas. The whole installation after 8h pumping was transported to the general-purpose test station of the HANARO research reactor and the polarization of 3He was measured with cold neutrons. The measured polarization of 3He was 0.18±0.01 by measuring the neutron transmission through the 3He cell. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]