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The design of fast reactors burning MOX fuels requires accurate capture and fission cross sections. For the particular case of neutron capture on 242Pu, the NEA recommends that an accuracy of 8-12% should be achieved in the fast energy region (2 keV-500 keV) compared to their estimation of 35% for the current uncertainty. Integral irradiation experiments suggest that the evaluated cross section of the JEFF-3.1 library overestimates the 242Pu(n,{\gamma}) cross section by 14% in the range between 1 keV and 1 MeV. In addition, the last measurement at LANSCE reported a systematic reduction of 20-30% in the 1-40 keV range relative to the evaluated libraries and previous data sets. In the present work this cross section has been determined up to 600 keV in order to solve the mentioned discrepancies. A 242Pu target of 95(4) mg enriched to 99.959% was irradiated at the n TOF-EAR1 facility at CERN. The capture cross section of 242Pu has been obtained between 1 and 600 keV with a systematic uncertainty (dominated by background subtraction) between 8 and 12%, reducing the current uncertainties of 35% and achieving the accuracy requested by the NEA in a large energy range. The shape of the cross section has been analyzed in terms of average resonance parameters using the FITACS code as implemented in SAMMY, yielding results compatible with our recent analysis of the resolved resonance region.The results are in good agreement with the data of Wisshak and K\"appeler and on average 10-14% below JEFF-3.2 from 1 to 250 keV, which helps to achieve consistency between integral experiments and cross section data. At higher energies our results show a reasonable agreement within uncertainties with both ENDF/B-VII.1 and JEFF-3.2. Our results indicate that the last experiment from DANCE underestimates the capture cross section of 242Pu by as much as 40% above a few keV., Comment: 20 pages, 19 figures, submitted to Phys. Rev. C

The $^{246}$Cm(n,$\gamma$) and $^{248}$Cm(n,$\gamma$) cross-sections have been measured at the Experimental Area 2 (EAR2) of the n_TOF facility at CERN with three C$_6$D$_6$ detectors. This measurement is part of a collective effort to improve the capture cross-section data for Minor Actinides (MAs), which are required to estimate the production and transmutation rates of these isotopes in light water reactors and innovative reactor systems. In particular, the neutron capture in $^{246}$Cm and $^{248}$Cm open the path for the formation of other Cm isotopes and heavier elements such as Bk and Cf and the knowledge of (n,$\gamma$) cross-sections of these Cm isotopes plays an important role in the transport, transmutation and storage of the spent nuclear fuel. The reactions $^{246}$Cm(n,$\gamma$) and $^{248}$Cm(n,$\gamma$) have been the two first capture measurements analyzed at n_TOF EAR2. Until this experiment and two recent measurements performed at J-PARC, there was only one set of data of the capture cross-sections of $^{246}$Cm and $^{248}$Cm, that was obtained in 1969 in an underground nuclear explosion experiment. In the measurement at n_TOF a total of 13 resonances of $^{246}$Cm between 4 and 400 eV and 5 of $^{248}$Cm between 7 and 100 eV have been identified and fitted. The radiative kernels obtained for $^{246}$Cm are compatible with JENDL-5, but some of them are not with JENDL-4, which has been adopted by JEFF-3.3 and ENDF/B-VIII.0. The radiative kernels obtained for the first three $^{248}$Cm resonances are compatible with JENDL-5, however, the other two are not compatible with any other evaluation and are 20% and 60% larger than JENDL-5.

Isomer spectroscopy of heavy neutron-rich nuclei beyond the N=126 closed shell has been performed for the first time at the Radioactive Isotope Beam Factory of the RIKEN Nishina Center. New millisecond isomers have been identified at low excitation energies, 985.3(19) keV in 213Tl and 874(5) keV in 215Tl. The measured half-lives of 1.34(5) ms in 213Tl and 3.0(3) ms in 215Tl suggest spins and parities 11/2- with the single proton-hole configuration h11/2 as leading component. They are populated via E1 transitions by the decay of higher-lying isomeric states with proposed spin and parity 17/2+, interpreted as arising from a single s1/2 proton hole coupled to the 8+ seniority isomer in the (A+1)Pb cores. The lowering of the 11/2- states is ascribed to an increase of the h11/2 proton effective single-particle energy as the second g9/2 orbital is filled by neutrons, owing to a significant reduction of the proton-neutron monopole interaction between the h11/2 and g9/2 orbitals. The new ms-isomers provide the first experimental observation of shell evolution in the almost unexplored N>126 nuclear region below doubly-magic 208Pb., Comment: 9 pages, 3 figures, 1 table

miniBELEN-10A is a modular and transportable moderated neutron counter with a nearly flat detection efficiency up to 8 MeV. The detector was designed to carry out measurements of (alpha, n) reactions in the context of the Measurement of Alpha Neutron Yields (MANY) project. In this work we present the results of the commissioning of miniBELEN-10A using the relatively well-known thick-target neutron yields from 27Al(alpha, n)30P.

miniBELEN is a modular and transportable neutron moderated counter with a nearly flat neutron detection efficiency up to 10 MeV. Modularity implies that the moderator can be reassembled in different ways in order to obtain different types of response. The detector has been developed in the context of the Measurement of Alpha Neutron Yields (MANY) collaboration, which is a scientific effort aiming to carry out measurements of (alpha,n) production yields, reaction cross-sections and neutron energy spectra. In this work we present and discuss several configurations of the miniBELEN detector. The experimental validation of the efficiency calculations using 252Cf sources and the measurement of the 27Al(alpha,n)30P reaction is also presented., Comment: 15th International Conference on Nuclear Data for Science and Technology (ND2022)

Effort has been expended to assess the relative merits of undertaking further decay-data measurements of the main fission-product contributors to the decay heat of neutron-irradiated fissile fuel and related actinides by means of Total Absorption Gamma-ray Spectroscopy (TAGS/TAS) and Discrete Gamma-ray Spectroscopy (DGS). This review has been carried out following similar work performed under the auspices of OECD/WPEC-Subgroup 25 (2005-2007) and the International Atomic Energy Agency (2010, 2014), and various highly relevant TAGS measurements completed as a consequence of such assessments. We present our recommendations for new decay-data evaluations, along with possible requirements for total absorption and discrete high-resolution gamma-ray spectroscopy studies that cover approximately 120 fission products and various isomeric states., Comment: Submitted to European Physical Journal A

Background: The $^{14}$N(n,p)$^{14}$C reaction is of interest in neutron capture therapy, where nitrogen-related dose is the main component due to low-energy neutrons, and in astrophysics, where 14N acts as a neutron poison in the s-process. Several discrepancies remain between the existing data obtained in partial energy ranges: thermal energy, keV region and resonance region. Purpose: Measuring the 14N(n,p)14C cross section from thermal to the resonance region in a single measurement for the first time, including characterization of the first resonances, and providing calculations of Maxwellian averaged cross sections (MACS). Method: Time-of-flight technique. Experimental Area 2 (EAR-2) of the neutron time-of-flight (n_TOF) facility at CERN. $^{10}$B(n,${\alpha}$)$^7$Li and $^{235}$U(n,f) reactions as references. Two detection systems running simultaneously, one on-beam and another off-beam. Description of the resonances with the R-matrix code sammy. Results: The cross section has been measured from sub-thermal energy to 800 keV resolving the two first resonances (at 492.7 and 644 keV). A thermal cross-section (1.809$\pm$0.045 b) lower than the two most recent measurements by slightly more than one standard deviation, but in line with the ENDF/B-VIII.0 and JEFF-3.3 evaluations has been obtained. A 1/v energy dependence of the cross section has been confirmed up to tens of keV neutron energy. The low energy tail of the first resonance at 492.7 keV is lower than suggested by evaluated values, while the overall resonance strength agrees with evaluations. Conclusions: Our measurement has allowed to determine the $^{14}$N(n,p) cross-section over a wide energy range for the first time. We have obtained cross-sections with high accuracy (2.5 %) from sub-thermal energy to 800 keV and used these data to calculate the MACS for kT = 5 to kT = 100 keV., Comment: 18 pages, 15 figures, 4 tables

This article presents a few selected developments and future ideas related to the measurement of $(n,\gamma)$ data of astrophysical interest at CERN n_TOF. The MC-aided analysis methodology for the use of low-efficiency radiation detectors in time-of-flight neutron-capture measurements is discussed, with particular emphasis on the systematic accuracy. Several recent instrumental advances are also presented, such as the development of total-energy detectors with $\gamma$-ray imaging capability for background suppression, and the development of an array of small-volume organic scintillators aimed at exploiting the high instantaneous neutron-flux of EAR2. Finally, astrophysics prospects related to the intermediate $i$ neutron-capture process of nucleosynthesis are discussed in the context of the new NEAR activation area., Comment: preprint submitted to the European Physical Journal A, 11 pages, 4 figures

In this work, we present the design of a new modular and transportable neutron detector for ({\alpha},n) reactions. The detector is based on the use of several 3He-filled proportional counters embedded in high density polyethylene. In order to provide the detector with a response independent of the neutron energy, a flat response, an innovative design methodology has been applied. The method is based on the optimization of the counters contribution to the total efficiency by using thermal neutron absorbers. This allows to obtain flat responses up to 10 MeV. The characterization of a proof-of-concept prototype detector is presented. The perspectives for using this new detector for ({\alpha},n) reactions measurements are discussed., Comment: Proceedings del XXII Simposio Chileno de Fisica, 2020, submitted ato Journal of Physics: Conference Series

We report results on the long-term variation of the neutron counting rate at the Canfranc Underground Laboratory, of importance for several low-background experiments installed there, including rare-event searches. The measurement campaign was performed employing the High Efficiency Neutron Spectrometry Array (HENSA) mounted in Hall A and lasted 412 live days. The present study is the first long-term measurement of the neutron rate with sensitivity over a wide range of neutron energies (from thermal up to 0.1 GeV and beyond) performed in any underground laboratory so far. Data on the environmental variables inside the experimental hall (radon concentration, air temperature, air pressure and humidity) were also acquired during all the measurement campaign. We have investigated for the first time the evolution of the neutron rate for different energies of the neutrons and its correlation with the ambient variables., Comment: 12 pages, 5 figures, 2 tables

Beta-delayed neutron emission plays a fundamental role in the explosive nucleosynthesis of elements heavier than iron by the rapid neutron capture (r-process). The most ambitious project related to beta-delayed neutron detection of very exotic nuclei is carried out by the BRIKEN collaboration at RIKEN Nishima Center. In this work, a brief description of the BRIKEN project is presented. A methodology for the precise characterization of the BRIKEN neutron counter efficiency, for fast neutrons, using an uncalibrated 252Cf neutron source is described. The method relies on the well-known neutron multiplicity distribution of such source and correlation counting method. A detailed experimental study with the BRIKEN neutron counter and a 252 Cf neutron source at the RIKEN Nishina center is presented. The result of this work is the determination of the neutron detection efficiency of the BRIKEN neutron counter with high accuracy., Comment: Proceedings del XXII Simposio Chileno de Fisica, 2020, submitted ato Journal of Physics: Conference Series

The $\beta$ decays of the ground state (gs) and isomeric state (m) of $^{96}$Y have been studied with the total absorption $\gamma$-ray spectroscopy technique at the Ion Guide Isotope Separator On-Line facility. The separation of the 8$^{+}$ isomeric state from the 0$^{-}$ ground state was achieved thanks to the purification capabilities of the JYFLTRAP double Penning trap system. The $\beta$-intensity distributions of both decays have been independently determined. In the analyses the de-excitation of the 1581.6 keV level in $^{96}$Zr, in which conversion electron emission competes with pair production, has been carefully considered and found to have significant impact on the $\beta$-detector efficiency, influencing the $\beta$-intensity distribution obtained. Our results for $^{96\text{gs}}$Y (0$^+$) confirm the large ground state to ground state $\beta$-intensity probability, although a slightly larger value than reported in previous studies was obtained, amounting to $96.6_{-2.1}^{+0.3}\%$ of the total $\beta$ intensity. Given that the decay of $^{96\text{gs}}$Y is the second most important contributor to the reactor antineutrino spectrum between 5 and 7 MeV, the impact of the present results on reactor antineutrino summation calculations has been evaluated. In the decay of $^{96\text{m}}$Y (8$^{+}$), previously undetected $\beta$ intensity in transitions to states above 6 MeV has been observed. This shows the importance of total absorption $\gamma$-ray spectroscopy measurements of $\beta$ decays with highly fragmented de-excitation patterns. $^{96\text{m}}$Y (8$^{+}$) is a major contributor to reactor decay heat in uranium-plutonium and thorium-uranium fuels around 10 s after fission pulses, and the newly measured average $\beta$ and $\gamma$ energies differ significantly from the previous values in evaluated databases (...)

The 235U(n,f) cross section was measured in a wide energy range (25 meV - 170 keV) at the n_TOF facility at CERN, relative to 6Li(n,t) and 10B(n,alpha) standard reactions, with high resolution and accuracy, with a setup based on a stack of six samples and six silicon detectors placed in the neutron beam. In this paper we report on the results in the region between thermal and 10 keV neutron energy. A resonance analysis has been performed up to 200 eV, with the code SAMMY. The resulting fission kernels are compared with the ones extracted on the basis of the resonance parameters of the most recent major evaluated data libraries. A comparison of the n_TOF data with the evaluated cross sections is also performed from thermal to 10 keV neutron energy for the energy-averaged cross section in energy groups of suitably chosen width. A good agreement is found in average between the new results and the latest evaluated data files ENDF-B/VIII and JEFF-3.3, as well as with respect to the IAEA reference files. However, some discrepancies are still present in some specific energy regions. The new dataset here presented, characterized by unprecedented resolution and accuracy, can help improving the evaluations in the Resolved Resonance Region and up to 10 keV, and reduce the uncertainties that affect this region.

The HENSA/ANAIS collaboration aims for the precise determination of the neutron flux that could affect ANAIS-112, an experiment looking for the dark matter annual modulation using NaI(Tl) scintillators. In this work, the first measurements of the neutron flux and Monte Carlo simulations of the neutron spectrum are reported.

We have performed a long-term measurement of the neutron flux with the High Efficiency Neutron Spectrometry Array HENSA in the Hall A of the Canfranc Underground Laboratory. The Hall A measurement campaign lasted from October 2019 to March 2021, demonstrating an excellent stability of the HENSA setup. Preliminary results on the neutron flux from this campaign are presented for the first time. In Phase 1 (113 live days) a total neutron flux of 1.66(2) $\times$10$^{-5}$ cm$^{-2}$ s$^{-1}$ is obtained. Our results are in good agreement with those from our previous shorter measurement where a reduced experimental setup was employed., Comment: Proceedings of the 17th International Conference on Topics in Astroparticle and Underground Physics (TAUP 2021)

Beta-delayed neutron emission is important for nuclear structure and astrophysics as well as for reactor applications. Significant advances in nuclear experimental techniques in the past two decades have led to a wealth of new measurements that remain to be incorporated in the databases. We report on a coordinated effort to compile and evaluate all the available beta-delayed neutron emission data. The different measurement techniques have been assessed and the data have been compared with semi-microscopic and microscopic-macroscopic models. The new microscopic database has been tested against aggregate total delayed neutron yields, time-dependent group parameters in 6-and 8-group re-presentation, and aggregate delayed neutron spectra. New recommendations of macroscopic delayed-neutron data for fissile materials of interest to applications are also presented. The new Reference Database for Beta-Delayed Neutron Emission Data is available online at: http://www-nds.iaea.org/beta-delayed-neutron/database.html., Comment: 96 pages, IAEA CRP report, preliminary version

i-TED is an innovative detection system which exploits Compton imaging techniques to achieve a superior signal-to-background ratio in ($n,\gamma$) cross-section measurements using time-of-flight technique. This work presents the first experimental validation of the i-TED apparatus for high-resolution time-of-flight experiments and demonstrates for the first time the concept proposed for background rejection. To this aim both $^{197}$Au($n,\gamma$) and $^{56}$Fe($n, \gamma$) reactions were measured at CERN n\_TOF using an i-TED demonstrator based on only three position-sensitive detectors. Two \cds detectors were also used to benchmark the performance of i-TED. The i-TED prototype built for this study shows a factor of $\sim$3 higher detection sensitivity than state-of-the-art \cds detectors in the $\sim$10~keV neutron energy range of astrophysical interest. This paper explores also the perspectives of further enhancement in performance attainable with the final i-TED array consisting of twenty position-sensitive detectors and new analysis methodologies based on Machine-Learning techniques., Comment: 16 pages, 16 figures

The Gamow-Teller strength distribution of the decay of $^{186}$Hg into $^{186}$Au has been determined for the first time using the total absorption gamma spectroscopy technique and has been compared with theoretical QRPA calculations using the SLy4 Skyrme force. The measured Gamow-Teller strength distribution and the half-life are described by mixing oblate and prolate configurations independently in the parent and daughter nuclei. The best description of the experimental beta strength is obtained with dominantly prolate components for both parent $^{186}$Hg and daughter $^{186}$Au. The approach also allowed us to determine an upper limit of the oblate component in the parent state. The complexity of the analysis required the development of a new approach in the analysis of the X-ray gated total absorption spectrum., Comment: 12 pages, 5 figures

In this review we will present the results of recent beta-decay studies using the total absorption technique that cover topics of interest for applications, nuclear structure and astrophysics. The decays studied were selected primarily because they have a large impact on the prediction of a) the decay heat in reactors, important for the safety of present and future reactors and b) the reactor electron antineutrino spectrum, of interest for particle/nuclear physics and reactor monitoring. For these studies the total absorption technique was chosen, since it is the only method that allows one to obtain beta decay probabilities free from a systematic error called the Pandemonium effect. The measurements presented and discussed here were performed mainly at the IGISOL facility of the University of Jyvaskyla (Finland) using isotopically pure beams provided by the JYFLTRAP Penning trap. Examples are presented to show that the results of our measurements on selected nuclei have had a large impact on predictions of both the decay heat and the anti-neutrino spectrum from reactors. Some of the cases involve beta delayed neutron emission thus one can study the competition between gamma- and neutron-emission from states above the neutron separation energy. The gamma-to-neutron emission ratios can be used to constrain neutron capture (n,gamma)cross sections for unstable nuclei of interest in astrophysics. The information obtained from the measurements can also be used to test nuclear model predictions of half-lives and Pn values for decays of interest in astrophysical network calculations. These comparisons also provide insights into aspects of nuclear structure in particular regions of the nuclear chart., Comment: 26 pages, 24 figures

Ambient neutrons may cause significant background for underground experiments. Therefore, it is necessary to investigate their flux and energy spectrum in order to devise a proper shielding. Here, two sets of altogether ten moderated $^3$He neutron counters are used for a detailed study of the ambient neutron background in tunnel IV of the Felsenkeller facility, underground below 45 meters of rock in Dresden/Germany. One of the moderators is lined with lead and thus sensitive to neutrons of energies higher than 10 MeV. For each $^3$He counter-moderator assembly, the energy dependent neutron sensitivity was calculated with the FLUKA code. The count rates of the ten detectors were then fitted with the MAXED and GRAVEL packages. As a result, both the neutron energy spectrum from 10$^{-9}$ MeV to 300 MeV and the flux integrated over the same energy range were determined experimentally. The data show that at a given depth, both the flux and the spectrum vary significantly depending on local conditions. Energy integrated fluxes of $(0.61 \pm 0.05)$, $(1.96 \pm 0.15)$, and $(4.6 \pm 0.4) \times 10^{-4}$ cm$^{-2}$ s$^{-1}$, respectively, are measured for three sites within Felsenkeller tunnel IV which have similar muon flux but different shielding wall configurations. The integrated neutron flux data and the obtained spectra for the three sites are matched reasonably well by FLUKA Monte Carlo calculations that are based on the known muon flux and composition of the measurement room walls., Comment: 10 figures, 4 tables; to be published in Phys. Rev. D

In $\beta$-decay studies the determination of the decay probability to the ground state of the daughter nucleus often suffers from large systematic errors. The difficulty of the measurement is related to the absence of associated delayed $\gamma$-ray emission. In this work we revisit the $4\pi\gamma-\beta$ method proposed by Greenwood and collaborators in the 1990s, which has the potential to overcome some of the experimental difficulties. Our interest is driven by the need to determine accurately the $\beta$-intensity distributions of fission products that contribute significantly to the reactor decay heat and to the antineutrinos emitted by reactors. A number of such decays have large ground state branches. The method is relevant for nuclear structure studies as well. Pertinent formulae are revised and extended to the special case of $\beta$-delayed neutron emitters, and the robustness of the method is demonstrated with synthetic data. We apply it to a number of measured decays that serve as test cases and discuss the features of the method. Finally, we obtain ground state feeding intensities with reduced uncertainty for four relevant decays that will allow future improvements in antineutrino spectrum and decay heat calculations using the summation method.

The idea of slow-neutron capture nucleosynthesis formulated in 1957 triggered a tremendous experimental effort in different laboratories worldwide to measure the relevant nuclear physics input quantities, namely ($n,\gamma$) cross sections over the stellar temperature range (from few eV up to several hundred keV) for most of the isotopes involved from Fe up to Bi. A brief historical review focused on total energy detectors will be presented to illustrate how, advances in instrumentation have led, over the years, to the assessment and discovery of many new aspects of $s$-process nucleosynthesis and to the progressive refinement of theoretical models of stellar evolution. A summary will be presented on current efforts to develop new detection concepts, such as the Total-Energy Detector with $\gamma$-ray imaging capability (i-TED). The latter is based on the simultaneous combination of Compton imaging with neutron time-of-flight (TOF) techniques, in order to achieve a superior level of sensitivity and selectivity in the measurement of stellar neutron capture rates., Comment: Nuclear Physics in Astrophysics IX - Conference Proceedings

The decays of the $\beta$-delayed neutron emitters $^{137}$I and $^{95}$Rb have been studied with the total absorption $\gamma$-ray spectroscopy technique. The purity of the beams provided by the JYFLTRAP Penning trap at the ion guide isotope separator on-line facility in Jyv\"askyl\"a allowed us to carry out a campaign of isotopically pure measurements with the decay total absorption $\gamma$-ray spectrometer, a segmented detector composed of eighteen NaI(Tl) modules. The contamination coming from the interaction of neutrons with the spectrometer has been carefully studied, and we have tested the use of time differences between prompt $\gamma$-rays and delayed neutron interactions to eliminate this source of contamination. Due to the sensitivity of our spectrometer, we have found a significant amount of $\beta$-intensity to states above the neutron separation energy that de-excite by $\gamma$-rays, comparable to the neutron emission probability. The competition between $\gamma$ de-excitation and neutron emission has been compared with Hauser-Feshbach calculations, and it can be understood as a nuclear structure effect. In addition, we have studied the impact of the $\beta$-intensity distributions determined in this work on reactor decay heat and reactor antineutrino spectrum summation calculations. The robustness of our results is demonstrated by a thorough study of uncertainties, and with the reproduction of the spectra of the individual modules and the module-multiplicity gated spectra. This work represents the state-of-the-art of our analysis methodology for segmented total absorption spectrometers.

A new summation method model of the reactor antineutrino energy spectrum is presented. It is updated with the most recent evaluated decay databases and with our Total Absorption Gamma-ray Spectroscopy measurements performed during the last decade. For the first time the spectral measurements from the Daya Bay experiment are compared with the detected antineutrino energy spectrum computed with the updated summation method without any renormalisation. The results exhibit a better agreement than is obtained with the Huber-Mueller model in the 2 to 5 MeV range, the region which dominates the detected flux. An unexpected systematic trend is found that the detected antineutrino flux computed with the summation model decreases with the inclusion of more Pandemonium free data. The detected flux obtained now lies only 1.9% above that detected in the Daya Bay experiment, a value that may be reduced with forthcoming new Pandemonium free data leaving less and less room to the reactor anomaly. Eventually, the new predictions of individual antineutrino spectra for the $^{235}$U, $^{239}$Pu, $^{241}$Pu and $^{238}$U are used to compute the dependence of the reactor antineutrino spectral shape on the fission fractions., Comment: 12 pages, 4 figures

The $\beta$ intensity distributions of the decays of $^{100\text{gs},100\text{m}}$Nb and $^{102\text{gs},102\text{m}}$Nb have been determined using the Total Absorption $\gamma$-Ray Spectroscopy technique. The JYFLTRAP double Penning trap system was employed to disentangle the isomeric states involved, lying very close in energy, in a campaign of challenging measurements performed with the Decay Total Absorption $\gamma$-ray Spectrometer at the Ion Guide Isotope Separator On-Line facility in Jyv\"askyl\"a. The low-spin isomeric state of each niobium case was populated through the decay of the zirconium parent, that was treated as a contaminant. We have applied a method to extract this contamination, and additionally we have obtained $\beta$ intensity distributions for these zirconium decays. The $\beta$-strength distributions evaluated with these results were compared with calculations in quasiparticle random-phase approximation, suggesting a prolate configuration for the ground states of $^{100,102}$Zr. The footprint of the Pandemonium effect was found when comparing our results for the analyses of the niobium isotopes with previous decay data. The $\beta$-intensities of the decay of $^{102\text{m}}$Nb were obtained for the first time. A careful evaluation of the uncertainties was carried out, and the consistency of our results was validated taking advantage of the segmentation of our spectrometer. The final results were used as input in reactor summation calculations. A large impact on antineutrino spectrum calculations was already reported and here we detail the significant impact on decay heat calculations.

A newly developed segmented YSO scintillator detector was implemented for the first time at the RI-beam Factory at RIKEN Nishina Center as an implantation-decay counter. The results from the experiment demonstrate that the detector is a viable alternative to conventional silicon-strip detectors with its good timing resolution and high detection efficiency for ${\rm \beta}$ particles. A Position-Sensitive Photo-Multiplier Tube (PSPMT) is coupled with a $48\times48$ segmented YSO crystal. To demonstrate its capabilities, a known short-lived isomer in $^{76}$Ni and the ${\rm \beta}$ decay of $^{74}$Co were measured by implanting those ions into the YSO detector. The half-lives and ${\rm \gamma}$-rays observed in this work are consistent with the known values. The ${\rm \beta}$-ray detection efficiency is more than 80~\% for the decay of $^{74}$Co., Comment: 17 pages, 6 figures, accepted to NIMA on May 7, 2019

The 235U(n,f) cross section was measured in a wide energy range at n_TOF relative to 6Li(n,t) and 10B(n,alpha), with high resolution and in a wide energy range, with a setup based on a stack of six samples and six silicon detectors placed in the neutron beam. This allowed us to make a direct comparison of the reaction yields under the same experimental conditions, and taking into account the forward/backward emission asymmetry. A hint of an anomaly in the 10{\div}30 keV neutron energy range had been previously observed in other experiments, indicating a cross section systematically lower by several percent relative to major evaluations. The present results indicate that the evaluated cross section in the 9{\div}18 keV neutron energy range is indeed overestimated, both in the recent updates of ENDF/B-VIII.0 and of the IAEA reference data. Furthermore, these new high-resolution data confirm the existence of resonance-like structures in the keV neutron energy region. The new, high accuracy results here reported may lead to a reduction of the uncertainty in the 1{\div}100 keV neutron energy region. Finally, the present data provide additional confidence on the recently re-evaluated cross section integral between 7.8 and 11 eV., Comment: 22 pages, 20 figures, submitted to PRC

A new detection system has been installed at the RIKEN Nishina Center (Japan) to investigate decay properties of very neutron-rich nuclei. The setup consists of three main parts: a moderated neutron counter, a detection system sensitive to the implantation and decay of radioactive ions, and gamma-ray detectors. We describe here the setup, the commissioning experiment and some selected results demonstrating its performance for the measurement of half-lives and beta-delayed neutron emission probabilities. The methodology followed in the analysis of the data is described in detail. Particular emphasis is placed on the correction of the accidental neutron background.

Many choices are available in order to evaluate large radioactive decay networks. %multi-particle decay data. There are many parameters that influence the calculated $\beta$-decay delayed single and multi-neutron emission branching fractions. We describe assumptions about the decay model, background, and other parameters and their influence on $\beta$-decay delayed multi-neutron emission analysis. An analysis technique, the ORNL BRIKEN analysis procedure, for determining $\beta$-delayed multi-neutron branching ratios in $\beta$-neutron precursors produced by means of heavy-ion fragmentation is presented. The technique is based on estimating the initial activities of zero, one, and two neutrons occurring in coincidence with an ion-implant and $\beta$ trigger. The technique allows one to extract $\beta$-delayed multi-neutron decay branching ratios measured with the hybrid \textsuperscript{3}He BRIKEN neutron counter. As an example, two analyses of the $\beta$-neutron emitter \textsuperscript{77}Cu based on different {\it a priori} assumptions are presented along with comparisons to literature values., Comment: 21 pages, 10 figures

We report on the measurement of the $^{7}$Be($n, p$)$^{7}$Li cross section from thermal to approximately 325 keV neutron energy, performed in the high-flux experimental area (EAR2) of the n\_TOF facility at CERN. This reaction plays a key role in the lithium yield of the Big Bang Nucleosynthesis (BBN) for standard cosmology. The only two previous time-of-flight measurements performed on this reaction did not cover the energy window of interest for BBN, and showed a large discrepancy between each other. The measurement was performed with a Si-telescope, and a high-purity sample produced by implantation of a $^{7}$Be ion beam at the ISOLDE facility at CERN. While a significantly higher cross section is found at low-energy, relative to current evaluations, in the region of BBN interest the present results are consistent with the values inferred from the time-reversal $^{7}$Li($p, n$)$^{7}$Be reaction, thus yielding only a relatively minor improvement on the so-called Cosmological Lithium Problem (CLiP). The relevance of these results on the near-threshold neutron production in the p+$^{7}$Li reaction is also discussed.

DTAS is a segmented total absorption {\gamma}-ray spectrometer developed for the DESPEC experiment at FAIR. It is composed of up to eighteen NaI(Tl) crystals. In this work we study the performance of this detector with laboratory sources and also under real experimental conditions. We present a procedure to reconstruct offline the sum of the energy deposited in all the crystals of the spectrometer, which is complicated by the effect of NaI(Tl) light-yield non-proportionality. The use of a system to correct for time variations of the gain in individual detector modules, based on a light pulse generator, is demonstrated. We describe also an event-based method to evaluate the summing-pileup electronic distortion in segmented spectrometers. All of this allows a careful characterization of the detector with Monte Carlo simulations that is needed to calculate the response function for the analysis of total absorption {\gamma}-ray spectroscopy data. Special attention was paid to the interaction of neutrons with the spectrometer, since they are a source of contamination in studies of \b{eta}-delayed neutron emitting nuclei.

Neutron capture measurements on $^{155}$Gd and $^{157}$Gd were performed using the time-of-flight technique at the n\_TOF facility at CERN. Four samples in form of self-sustaining metallic discs isotopically enriched in $^{155}$Gd and $^{157}$Gd were used. The measurements were carried out at the experimental area (EAR1) at 185 m from the neutron source, with an array of 4 C$_6$D$_6$ liquid scintillation detectors. The capture cross sections of $^{155}$Gd and $^{157}$Gd at neutron kinetic energy of 0.0253 eV have been estimated to be 62.2(2.2) kb and 239.8(9.3) kb, respectively, thus up to 6\% different relative to the ones reported in the nuclear data libraries. A resonance shape analysis has been performed in the resolved resonance region up to 180 eV and 300 eV, respectively, in average resonance parameters have been found in good agreement with evaluations. Above these energies the observed resonance-like structures in the cross section have been tentatively characterised in terms of resonance energy and area up to 1 keV.

Background: $\beta$-delayed multiple neutron emission has been observed for some nuclei with A$\leq$100, with $^{100}$Rb being the heaviest $\beta$2n emitter measured to date. So far, only 25 P$_{2n}$ values have been determined for the $\sim$300 nuclei that may decay in this way. Accordingly, it is of interest to measure P$_{2n}$ values for the other possible multiple neutron emitters throughout the chart of the nuclides. It is of particular interest to make such measurement for nuclei with A$>$100 to test the predictions of theoretical models and simulation tools for the decays of heavy nuclei in the region of very neutron-rich nuclei. In addition, the decay properties of these nuclei are fundamental for the understanding of astrophysical nucleosynthesis processes such as the $r$-process, and safety inputs for nuclear reactors. Purpose: To determine for the first time the two neutron branching ratio, P$_{2n}$ value, for $^{136}$Sb through a direct neutron measurement, and to provide precise P$_{1n}$ values for $^{136}$Sb and $^{136}$Te. Method: Pure beams were provided by the JYFLTRAP at the IGISOL facility of the University of Jyv\"askyl\"a, Finland. The purified ions were implanted into a moving tape at the end of the beam line. The detection setup consisted of a plastic scintillator placed right behind the implantation point, and the BELEN detector, based on neutron counters embedded in a polyethylene matrix. The analysis was based on the study of the $\beta$- and neutron- growth-and-decay curves and the $\beta$-one-neutron and $\beta$-two-neutron time correlations. Results: The P$_{2n}$ value of $^{136}$Sb was found to be 0.14(3)\% and the measured P$_{1n}$ values for $^{136}$Sb and $^{136}$Te were found to be 32.2(15)\% and 1.47(6)\%, respectively. The measured P$_{2n}$ value is a factor 44 smaller than predicted by the FRDM+QRPA model used for $r$-process calculations., Comment: 11 pages, 10 figures

We investigate the performance of large area radiation detectors, with high energy- and spatial-resolution, intended for the development of a Total Energy Detector with gamma-ray imaging capability, so-called i-TED. This new development aims for an enhancement in detection sensitivity in time-of-flight neutron capture measurements, versus the commonly used C6D6 liquid scintillation total-energy detectors. In this work, we study in detail the impact of the readout photosensor on the energy response of large area (5050 mm2) monolithic LaCl3(Ce) crystals, in particular when replacing a conventional mono-cathode photomultiplier tube by an 88 pixelated silicon photomultiplier. Using the largest commercially available monolithic SiPM array (25 cm2), with a pixel size of 66 mm2, we have measured an average energy resolution of 3.92% FWHM at 662 keV for crystal thicknesses of 10, 20 and 30 mm. The results are confronted with detailed Monte Carlo (MC) calculations, where both optical processes and properties have been included for the reliable tracking of the scintillation photons. After the experimental validation of the MC model, se use our MC code to explore the impact of different a photosensor segmentation (pixel size and granularity) on the energy resolution. Our optical MC simulations predict only a marginal deterioration of the spectroscopic performance for pixels of 33 mm2.

Following the completion of the second neutron beam line and the related experimental area (EAR2) at the n_TOF spallation neutron source at CERN, several experiments were planned and performed. The high instantaneous neutron flux available in EAR2 allows to investigate neutron indiced reactions with charged particles in the exit channel even employing targets made out of small amounts of short-lived radioactive isotopes. After the successful measurement of the 7Be(n,{\alpha}){\alpha} cross section, the 7Be(n,p)7Li reaction was studied in order to provide still missing cross section data of relevance for Big Bang Nucleosynthesis (BBN), in an attempt to find a solution to the cosmological Lithium abundance problem. This paper describes the experimental setup employed in such a measurement and its characterization.

The beta decays of $^{86}$Br and $^{91}$Rb have been studied using the total absorption spectroscopy technique. The radioactive nuclei were produced at the IGISOL facility in Jyv\"askyl\"a and further purified using the JYFLTRAP. $^{86}$Br and $^{91}$Rb are considered to be major contributors to the decay heat in reactors. In addition $^{91}$Rb was used as a normalization point in direct measurements of mean gamma energies released in the beta decay of fission products by Rudstam {\it et al.} assuming that this decay was well known from high-resolution measurements. Our results show that both decays were suffering from the {\it Pandemonium} effect and that the results of Rudstam {\it et al.} should be renormalized. The relative impact of the studied decays in the prediction of the decay heat and antineutrino spectrum from reactors has been evaluated., Comment: 11 pages, 13 figures

The \b{eta}-decay of 100 Tc has been studied using the Total Absorption {\gamma}-Ray Spectroscopy technique at IGISOL. In this work the new DTAS spectrometer in coincidence with a cylindrical plastic \b{eta} detector has been employed. The \b{eta}-intensity to the ground state obtained from the analysis is in good agreement with previous high-resolution measurements. However, differences in the feeding to the first excited state as well as weak feeding to a new level at high excitation energy have been deduced from this experiment. Theoretical calculations performed in the quasiparticle random- phase approximation (QRPA) framework are also reported. Comparison of these calculations with our measurement serves as a benchmark for calculations of the double \b{eta}-decay of 100 Mo., Comment: submitted to Physical Review C

$Background:$ Previous measurements of $\beta$-delayed neutron emitters comprise around 230 nuclei, spanning from the $^{8}$He up to $^{150}$La. Apart from $^{210}$Tl, with a minuscule branching ratio of 0.007\%, no other neutron emitter is measured yet beyond $A=150$. Therefore new data are needed, particularly in the heavy mass region around N=126, in order to guide theoretical models and to understand the formation of the third r-process peak at $A\sim195$. $Purpose:$ To measure both, $\beta$-decay half-lives and neutron branching ratios of several neutron-rich Au, Hg, Tl, Pb and Bi isotopes beyond $N=126$. $Method:$ Ions of interest are produced by fragmentation of a $^{238}$U beam, selected and identified via the GSI-FRS fragment separator. A stack of segmented silicon detectors (SIMBA) is used to measure ion-implants and $\beta$-decays. An array of 30 $^3$He tubes embedded in a polyethylene matrix (BELEN) is used to detect neutrons with high efficiency and selectivity. A self-triggered digital system is employed to acquire data and to enable time-correlations. The latter are analyzed with an analytical model and results for the half-lives and neutron-branching ratios are derived using the binned Maximum-Likelihood method. $Results:$ Twenty new $\beta$-decay half-lives are reported for $^{204-206}$Au, $^{208-211}$Hg,$^{211-216}$Tl,$^{215-218}$Pb and $^{218-220}$Bi, nine of them for the first time. Neutron emission probabilities are reported for $^{210,211}$Hg and $^{211-216}$Tl. $Conclusions:$ The new $\beta$-decay half-lives are in good agreement with previous measurements in this region. The measured neutron emission probabilities are comparable or smaller than values predicted by global models like RHB+RQRPA., Comment: 17 pages, 21 figures, will be submitted at PRC

The aim of this work is to provide a precise and accurate measurement of the 238U(n,g) reaction cross section in the energy region from 1 eV to 700 keV. This reaction is of fundamental importance for the design calculations of nuclear reactors, governing the behaviour of the reactor core. In particular, fast reactors, which are experiencing a growing interest for their ability to burn radioactive waste, operate in the high energy region of the neutron spectrum. In this energy region most recent evaluations disagree due to inconsistencies in the existing measurements of up to 15%. In addition, the assessment of nuclear data uncertainty performed for innovative reactor systems shows that the uncertainty in the radiative capture cross-section of 238U should be further reduced to 1-3% in the energy region from 20 eV to 25 keV. To this purpose, addressed by the Nuclear Energy Agency as a priority nuclear data need, complementary experiments, one at the GELINA and two at the n_TOF facility, were proposed and carried out within the 7th Framework Project ANDES of the European Commission. The results of one of these 238U(n,g) measurements performed at the n_TOF CERN facility are presented in this work. The gamma-ray cascade following the radiative neutron capture has been detected exploiting a setup of two C6D6 liquid scintillators. Resonance parameters obtained from this work are on average in excellent agreement with the ones reported in evaluated libraries. In the unresolved resonance region, this work yields a cross section in agreement with evaluated libraries up to 80 keV, while for higher energies our results are significantly higher., Comment: 15 pages, 10 captioned figures

In this work we report on the Monte Carlo study performed to understand and reproduce experimental measurements of a new plastic \b{eta}-detector with cylindrical geometry. Since energy deposition simulations differ from the experimental measurements for such a geometry, we show how the simulation of production and transport of optical photons does allow one to obtain the shapes of the experimental spectra. Moreover, taking into account the computational effort associated with this kind of simulation, we develop a method to convert the simulations of energy deposited into light collected, depending only on the interaction point in the detector. This method represents a useful solution when extensive simulations have to be done, as in the case of the calculation of the response function of the spectrometer in a total absorption {\gamma}-ray spectroscopy analysis., Comment: submitted to Nuclear Instruments and Methods A

We investigate the decay of 87Br, 88Br and 94Rb using total absorption gamma-ray spectroscopy. These important fission products are beta-delayed neutron emitters. Our data show considerable gamma-intensity, so far unobserved in high-resolution gamma-ray spectroscopy, from states at high excitation energy. We also find significant differences with the beta intensity that can be deduced from existing measurements of the beta spectrum. We evaluate the impact of the present data on reactor decay heat using summation calculations. Although the effect is relatively small it helps to reduce the discrepancy between calculations and integral measurements of the photon component for 235U fission at cooling times in the range 1 to 100 s. We also use summation calculations to evaluate the impact of present data on reactor antineutrino spectra. We find a significant effect at antineutrino energies in the range of 5 to 9 MeV. In addition, we observe an unexpected strong probability for gamma emission from neutron unbound states populated in the daughter nucleus. The gamma branching is compared to Hauser-Feshbach calculations which allow one to explain the large value for bromine isotopes as due to nuclear structure. However the branching for 94Rb, although much smaller, hints of the need to increase the radiative width by one order-of-magnitude. This leads to a similar increase in the calculated (n,gamma) cross section for this very neutron-rich nucleus with a potential impact on r-process abundance calculations.

BRIKEN is a complex detection system to be installed at the RIB-facility of the RIKEN Nishina Center. It is aimed at the detection of heavy-ion implants, $\beta$-particles, $\gamma$-rays and $\beta$-delayed neutrons. The whole detection setup involves the Advanced Implantation Detection Array (AIDA), two HPGe Clover detectors and a large set of 166 counters of 3He embedded in a high-density polyethylene matrix. This article reports on a novel methodology developed for the conceptual design and optimisation of the 3He-tubes array, aiming at the best possible performance in terms of neutron detection. The algorithm is based on a geometric representation of two selected parameters of merit, namely, average neutron detection efficiency and efficiency flatness, as a function of a reduced number of geometric variables. The response of the detection system itself, for each configuration, is obtained from a systematic MC-simulation implemented realistically in Geant4. This approach has been found to be particularly useful. On the one hand, due to the different types and large number of 3He-tubes involved and, on the other hand, due to the additional constraints introduced by the ancillary detectors for charged particles and gamma-rays. Empowered by the robustness of the algorithm, we have been able to design a versatile detection system, which can be easily re-arranged into a compact mode in order to maximize the neutron detection performance, at the cost of the gamma-ray sensitivity. In summary, we have designed a system which shows, for neutron energies up to 1(5) MeV, a rather flat and high average efficiency of 68.6%(64%) and 75.7%(71%) for the hybrid and compact modes, respectively. The performance of the BRIKEN system has been also quantified realistically by means of MC-simulations made with different neutron energy distributions.

The integral measurement of the $^{12}$C(n,p)$^{12}$B reaction was performed at the neutron time of flight facility n_TOF at CERN. The total number of $^{12}$B nuclei produced per neutron pulse of the n_TOF beam was determined using the activation technique in combination with a time of flight technique. The cross section is integrated over the n_TOF neutron energy spectrum from reaction threshold at 13.6 MeV to 10 GeV. Having been measured up to 1 GeV on basis of the $^{235}$U(n,f) reaction, the neutron energy spectrum above 200 MeV has been reevaluated due to the recent extension of the cross section reference for this particular reaction, which is otherwise considered a standard up to 200 MeV. The results from the dedicated GEANT4 simulations have been used to evaluate the neutron flux from 1 GeV up to 10 GeV. The experimental results related to the $^{12}$C(n,p)$^{12}$B reaction are compared with the evaluated cross sections from major libraries and with the predictions of different GEANT4 models, which mostly underestimate the $^{12}$B production. On the contrary, a good reproduction of the integral cross section derived from measurements is obtained with TALYS-1.6 calculations, with optimized parameters., Comment: 14 pages, 11 figures, 3 tables

The newly built second experimental area EAR2 of the n_TOF spallation neutron source at CERN allows to perform (n, charged particles) experiments on short-lived highly radioactive targets. This paper describes a detection apparatus and the experimental procedure for the determination of the cross-section of the 7Be(n,{\alpha}) reaction, which represents one of the focal points toward the solution of the cosmological Lithium abundance problem, and whose only measurement, at thermal energy, dates back to 1963. The apparently unsurmountable experimental difficulties stemming from the huge 7Be {\gamma}-activity, along with the lack of a suitable neutron beam facility, had so far prevented further measurements. The detection system is subject to considerable radiation damage, but is capable of disentangling the rare reaction signals from the very high background. This newly developed setup could likely be useful also to study other challenging reactions requiring the detectors to be installed directly in the neutron beam., Comment: submitted to Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research A