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We report the first experimental determination of independent isomeric yield ratios using direct ion counting with a Penning trap, which offered such a high resolution in mass that isomeric states could be separated. The measurements were performed at the Ion Guide Isotope Separator On-Line (IGISOL) facility at the University of Jyvaskyla. The isomer production ratios of Ge-81, Y-96,Y-97 Sn-128(,1)30, and Sb-129 in the 25-MeV proton-induced fission of U-na(t) and Th-232 were studied. Three isomeric pairs (Ge-81, Y-96, and Sb-129) were measured for the first time for the U-na(t)(p, f) reaction, while all the reported yield ratios for the Th-232(p, f) reaction were determined for the first time. The comparison of the experimentally determined isomeric yield ratios with data available in the literature shows a reasonable agreement, except for the case of Sn-130 for unspecified reasons. The obtained results were also compared with the GEF model, where good agreement can be noticed in most cases for both reactions. Serious discrepancies can only be observed for the cases of Y-96(,)97 for both reactions. Moreover, based on the isomeric yield ratios, the root-mean-square angular momenta (J(r)(ms)) of the fission fragments after scission were estimated using the TALYS code. The experimentally determined isomeric yield ratios, and consequently the deduced J(rms), for Sn-130 are significantly lower compared to Sn-128 for both fissioning systems. This can be attributed to the more spherical shape of the fragments that contribute to the formation of Sn-130, due to their proximity to the N = 82 shell closure. The values of J(rms) for Sb-129 are higher than Sn-128 for both reactions, despite the same neutron number of both nuclides (N = 78), indicating the odd-Z effect where fission fragments with odd-Z number tend to bear larger angular momentum than even-Z fragments. The isomer production ratio for the isotopes of Sn is more enhanced in the U-na(t)(p, f) reaction than in Th-232

With the Ion Guide Isotope Separator On-Line (IGISOL) facility, located at the University of Jyväskylä, products of nuclear reactions are separated by mass. The high resolving power of the JYFLTRAP Penning trap, with full separation of individual nuclides, capacitates the study of nuclides far from the line of stability. For the production of neutron-rich medium-heavy nuclides, fissioning of actinides is a feasible reaction. This can be achieved with protons from an in-house accelerator or, alternatively, with neutrons through the addition of a newly developed Be(p,xn)-converter. The hereby-obtained fission products are used in nuclear data measurements, for example fission yields, nuclear masses, Q-values and decay spectroscopy. Prior to separation, the ionized reaction products are stopped in a helium-filled gas cell, referred to as the ion-guide. In this work we present simulations of the stopping of fission products in an ion guide developed for neutron-induced fission. The production and extraction rates are evaluated and compared against experimental values.

The fission product yields are an important characteristic of the fission process. In fundamental physics, knowledge of the yield distributions is needed to better understand the fission process. For nuclear energy applications good knowledge of neutron-induced fission-product yields is important for the safe and efficient operation of nuclear power plants. With the Ion Guide Isotope Separator On-Line (IGISOL) technique, products of nuclear reactions are stopped in a buffer gas and then extracted and separated by mass. Thanks to the high resolving power of the JYFLTRAP Penning trap, at University of Jyvaskyla, fission products can be isobarically separated, making it possible to measure relative independent fission yields. In some cases it is even possible to resolve isomeric states from the ground state, permitting measurements of isomeric yield ratios. So far the reactions U(p,f) and Th(p,f) have been studied using the IGISOL-JYFLTRAP facility. Recently, a neutron converter target has been developed utilizing the Be(p,xn) reaction. We here present the IGISOL-technique for fission yield measurements and some of the results from the measurements on proton induced fission. We also present the development of the neutron converter target, the characterization of the neutron field and the first tests with neutron-induced fission.

Experimental methods to determine isomeric yield ratios usually apply gamma-spectroscopic techniques. In such methods, ground and isomeric states are distinguished by their decays. In the present work, several isomeric yield ratios of fission products have been measured by utilizing capabilities of the double Penning-trap mass spectrometer JYFLTRAP, where isomeric and ground state were separated by their masses. To verify the new experimental technique, the results were compared to those from gamma-spectroscopy measurements.

Development of nuclear energy applications requires data for neutron-induced reactions for actinides in a wide neutron energy range. Here we describe measurements of pre-neutron emission fission fragment mass yields of Th-232 and U-238 at incident neutron energies from 10 to 33 MeV. The measurements were done at the quasi-monoenergetic neutron beam of the Louvain-la-Neuve cyclotron facility CYCLONE; a multi-section twin Frisch-gridded ionization chamber was used to detect fission fragments. For the peak neutron energies at 33, 45 and 60 MeV, the details of the data analysis and the experimental results were published in Ref. [1]. In this work we present data analysis in the low-energy tail of the neutron energy spectra. The preliminary measurement results are compared with available experimental data and theoretical predictions.

Data on light-ion production in light nuclei such as carbon, nitrogen and oxygen are particularly important in calculations of dose distributions in human tissue for radiation therapy at neutron beams, and for dosimetry of high energy neutrons produced by high-energy cosmic radiation interacting with nuclei (nitrogen and oxygen) in the atmosphere. When studying neutron dose effects, special consideration on carbon and oxygen is needed since they are, by weight, the most abundant elements in human tissue. The MEDLEY setup at The Svedberg Laboratory (TSL), Uppsala, Sweden has been used to measure such data with double-differential cross sections (DDX) for the (n, xp), (n, xd), xt), (n,(3)He), and (n,alpha) reactions from C, 0, Si, Ca, Fe, Pb, and U around 96 MeV. At the new Uppsala neutron beam facility the available energy range of quasi mono-energetic neutron beams is extended up to 175 MeV. The detector setup used in MEDLEY consists of eight so-called telescopes mounted at different angles inside all evacuated reaction chamber. Each of the telescopes consists of two fully depleted Delta E silicon surface barrier detectors (SSBD) and a CsI(Tl) crystal. In order to make measurements at this higher neutron energy possible some changes in the detector setup compared to the campaign at 96 MeV were applied Accordingly, the second Delta E detectors have been replaced by 1000 mu m thick SSBDs as well as the size of the crystals used as E detectors was increased to a total length of 100 mm and a diameter of 50 mm. The Delta E - E technique is used to identify the light ions, and cutoff energies as low as 2.5 MeV for protons and 4.0 MeV for alpha particles are achieved. The data are normalised relative to elastic up scattering measured in one of the telescopes at 20 degrees. Preliminary DDXs for oxygen are presented and compared with theoretical calculations.

Double-differential production yields of light ions (p, d, t, (3)He, and alpha) from a thin silicon target induced by 175 MeV quasi mono-energetic neutrons were measured using the MEDLEY setup at the The Svedberg Laboratory (TSL) in Uppsala in order to benchmark evaluated nuclear data and nuclear reaction models. The MEDLEY is a conventional spectrometer system which consists of eight counter telescopes. Each telescope is composed of two silicon surface barrier detectors as the Delta E detectors and a CsI(Tl) scintillator as the E detector for particle identification. The telescopes are placed at angles from 20 degrees to 160 degrees in steps of 20 degrees. The measured double-differential yields of light ions are compared with PHITS calculations using the following nuclear reaction options: the high-energy nuclear data library (JENDL/HE-2007), the quantum molecular dynamics (QMD) model, and the intra-nuclear cascade (INC) model.

An off-line data analysis of an experimental campaign on elastic neutron cross-section measurements at 175 MeV for iron and bismuth performed by the SCANDAL set-up has started. Energy calibration has shown expected values of energy resolution and MCNPX simulations have provided suggestions for further analysis.

Neutron beam characterization measurements have been carried out in both the AN:ITA and QMN modes using the incident proton beam of 180 MeV at the The Svedverg Laboratory (TSL) in Uppsala. The spectral neutron flux data have been obtained by measuring elastic np-scattering with the Medley setup. The experimental results in the ANITA and QMN modes are compared with an MCNPX simulation and with the systematics of QMN spectra, respectively.

We have measured fission fragment-mass yields for neutron-induced fission of Th-232 and U-238 at energies 32.8, 45.3, and 59.9 MeV. The experiments were done at quasimonoenergetic neutron beams of the Cyclotron Research Center at Louvain-la-Neuve. To detect the fission fragments, a multisection Frisch-gridded ionization chamber was used. The measurement and data analysis techniques are discussed in detail. The obtained mass yields are compared to model calculations with the intermediate-energy nuclear reaction code MCFX. The MCFX code is used to calculate the fraction of fissioning nuclei after cascade, preequilibrium, and statistical reaction stages. The formation of mass distributions is considered as a result of oscillations of the mass-asymmetry degree of freedom in the potential well calculated with the temperature-dependent shell correction method. The experimental results as well as the results of the model calculations demonstrate that the probability of symmetric fission increases with incident neutron energy for both nuclei. The comparison also shows that the symmetric fission is more enhanced for thorium than for uranium with increasing neutron energy. We also compare U-238 results with available experimental data; the Th-232 data were measured for the first time.

We have measured double-differential (angle and energy) cross sections for light-ion (p, d, t, (3)He, and a) production in the interaction of quasi-monoenergetic 175 MeV neutrons with iron and bismuth. Measurements have been performed at the The Svedberg Laboratory, Uppsala (Sweden), using the Medley setup which allows low-energy thresholds and wide energy and angular ranges. Medley is a spectrometer system consisting of eight three-element telescopes placed at angles from 20 degrees to 160 degrees, in steps of 20 degrees. Each telescope is composed of two silicon surface barrier detectors and a CsI(Tl) scintillator, to perform particle identification, fully stop the produced light-ions and measure their kinetic energy. The time-of-flight was used to reduce the contribution from the low energy tail in the accepted incident neutron spectrum. We report double-differential production cross sections for protons, deuterons, tritons, (3)He and alpha particles and compare them with model calculations with TALYS-1.2.

Incineration of spent nuclear fuel in Accelerator Driven Systems requires nuclear data on neutron-induced fission of actinides at energies above 20 MeV - the upper limit of conventional evaluated nuclear data files. Over the past years, a significant effort has been devoted to measurements of neutron-induced fission cross-sections at intermediate energies but there is a lack of experimental data on fission yields. Here we describe recent measurements of pre-neutron emission fragment mass distributions from intermediate energy neutron-induced fission of (232)Th and (238)U. The measurements have been carried out at the neutron beam of the Louvain-la-Neuve cyclotron facility CYCLONE. Quasi-monoenergetic neutrons with peak energies at 32.8, 45.3 and 59.9 MeV were produced by protons impinging on a thin lithium target. A multi-section Frisch-gridded ionization chamber was used as a fission fragment detector. The measurement results are compared with available experimental data as well as with predictions of the multi-modal random neck-rupture model implemented into the TALYS code.

We have measured double-differential yields of protons, deuterons, and tritons produced from carbon induced by 175 MeV quasi mono-energetic neutrons using the MEDLEY setup at the TSL neutron beam facility. The measured data are used for benchmarking of a high-energy nuclear data file, JENDL/HE-2007, and both intra-nuclear cascade (INC) model and quantum molecular dynamics (QMD) calculations.

We have measured double differential cross sections (DDX) for emission of hydrogen- and helium-isotopes in the interaction of 175 MeV quasi-monoenergetic neutrons with Fe and Bi using the Medley setup at the The Svedberg Laboratory (Uppsala, Sweden). We compared experimental DDX with calculations with the TALYS code, which includes exciton model and Kalbach systematics; the code fails to reproduce the emission of complex light-ions, generally overestimating it. We propose an correction for the application of the Kalbach phenomenological model in the TALYS code by introducing a new energy dependence for the nucleon transfer mechanism in the pre-equilibrium emission region. Our results suggest also evidence for multiple pre-equilibrium emission of composite particles at 175 MeV.

AlFONS

The Scattered Nucleon Detection Assembly (SCANDAL) setup at The Svedberg Laboratory has been used to produce neutron elastic scattering cross section data at 175MeV for bismuth and iron. This work presents MCNPX simulations of the experimental setup and aims to describe processes and data important for the upcoming off-line data analysis. In the experiment, neutrons scattered off the target are converted to protons, which are stopped in scintillator crystals. The results include a description of the proton spectra dependence on the neutron-to-proton conversion angle, suggesting a cut at a conversion angle of 15.2 degrees. Calculation of the hit position gates indicates high proton leakage from the crystals. A study of the converter describes the role of its chemical composition and also the role of other plastic scintillators on the proton spectra. The neutron-to-proton conversion efficiency of the converter simulated by MCNPX is 5.1x10(-4) and corresponds to theoretical predictions.

Over the past years an experimental programme has been run at the neutron beam of The Svedberg Laboratory with the aim to study light-ion production induced by 96 and 175 MeV neutrons for a wide variety of targets. The measurements have been conducted using the Medley facility which allows measurement of p, d, t, He-3 and alpha production at fixed angles (from 20 to 160 degrees in steps of 20 degrees) over a wide dynamic range. An overview of the results obtained at the now finished campaign at 96 MeV will be given. Since 2007 we have been running at 175 MeV with C, O, Si, Fe, Bi and U as target material. Preliminary results from these measurements will be shown and compared to model calculations with Talys-1.2. We also summarize the Medley measurements of elastic np and nd scattering and of angular distributions of fission fragments.

Double-differential cross sections for neutron-induced light-ion production at 96 MeV have been measured for a variety of nuclei at The Svedberg Laboratory. Using the measured cross-section data, we deduce the Kerma coefficient from carbon and oxygen for p, d, t, He-3 and alpha particles. In order to get the total Kerma for C and O, we add GNASH calculation values where experimental data are not available and obtain a Kerma coefficient of 7.85 +/- 0.63 fGy m(2) for carbon and 7.09 +/- 0.57 fGy m(2) for oxygen. The C/O Kerma coefficient ratio then becomes 1.11 +/- 0.11. In addition we determine the Kerma ratio between ICRU muscle and A-150, again adding calculations with the GNASH code where no experimental data are available, and obtain a value of 0.98 +/- 0.05. While the Kerma coefficients for carbon and oxygen do not agree with the prediction in ICRU Report 63, the ratio values are in good agreement with existing predictions.

The experimental setup SCANDAL used for measurements of the differential cross section for elastic and inelastic neutron scattering, has recently been upgraded with larger CsI scintillating detectors to enable measurements at energies up to 175 MeV. Measurements on Fe. Bi and Si have been carried out using the quasi mono-energetic neutron beam at the The Svedberg Laboratory, and data is under analysis. The experimental setup can be used for measurements on a wide range of target nuclei, including C and O, which are important for dosimetry applications. SCANDAL can also run in proton mode, for measurements of the (n,p) reaction. This paper describes the new experimental setup, and reports on its properties, such as energy resolution.

We have measured light-ion (p, d, t, He-3 and alpha) production in the interaction of 175 MeV neutrons with iron and bismuth with low-energy thresholds and for a wide angular range (from 20 degrees to 160 degrees, in steps of 20 degrees). Measurements have been performed with the Medley setup, semi-permanently installed at the The Svedberg Laboratory, Uppsala (Sweden), where a quasi-monoenergetic neutron beam is available and well characterized. Medley is a conventional spectrometer system and consists of eight telescopes, each of them composed of two silicon surface barrier detectors, to perform particle identification, and a CsI(Tl) scintillator to fully measure the kinetic energy of the produced light-ions. We report preliminary double-differential cross sections for production of protons, deuterons and tritons in comparison with model calculations using TALYS-1.0 code. These show better agreement for the production of protons, while the theoretical calculations seem to overestimate the experimental production of deuterons and tritons.