Calculation of Beta-Ray Spectra from Individual and Aggregate Fission Products

The β-ray spectra of individual fission products were calculated by using the β-decay data assuming every β-decay to be allowed transition. For the nuclides without measured decay data the β-feeding function was evaluated with the gross theory of β-decay and the β-ray spectrum was calculated from the function. The measured decay data were also supplemented with the data calculated by the gross theory for the excitation energy range above the highest measured excitation energy level. The β-ray spectra from aggregate fission products after a burst fission were calculated by using the β-ray spectrum and the atom number of each fission product nuclide and they were compared with the ones measured for thermal neutron induced fission of 235U, 239Pu and 241Pu at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The spectrum calculations showed excellent agreement with the measured data at shorter cooling times than 10s when many short-lived nuclides without measured decay data contributed considerably to the spectrum.