Photonuclear production of nuclear isomers using bremsstrahlung induced by laser-wakefield electrons

In this study,we theoretically investigate the feasibility of using laser-wakefield accelerated(LWFA)electrons for the photonuclear measurement of nuclear isomers according to the characteristics of the electrons obtained from LWFA experiments conducted at the Compact Laser-Plasma Accelerator(CLAPA)laboratory.The experiments at the CLAPA show that a stable electron beam with an energy of 78-135 MeV and a charge of 300-600 pC can be obtained.The bremsstrahlung spectra were simulated using Geant4,which suggests that a bremsstrahlung source with a peak intensity of 10^(19) photons/s can be generated.Theoretical calculations of isomer production cross sections from the photonuclear reactions on six target nuclei,^(197)Au,^(180)Hf,^(159)Tb,^(115)In,^(103)Rh,and ^(90)Zr,were performed and compared with the available experimental data in EXFOR,which suggest that further experiments are required for a series of photonuclear reaction channels.Flux-averaged cross sections and isomer ratios(IR)resulting from such bremsstrahlung sources are theoretically deduced.The results suggest that IR measurements can be used to constrain nuclear components,such asγstrength function and optical model potential.In addition,the detection of the decay characteristics was evaluated with Geant4 simulations.The use of the LWFA electron beam and its bremsstrahlung for photonuclear studies involving nuclear isomers is anticipated.

Rapid interrogation of special nuclear materials by combining scattering and transmission nuclear resonance fluorescence spectroscopy

The smuggling of special nuclear materials(SNMs)across national borders is becoming a serious threat to nuclear nonproliferation.This paper presents a feasibility study on the rapid interrogation of concealed SNMs by combining scattering and transmission nuclear resonance fluorescence(s NRF and t NRF)spectroscopy.In s NRF spectroscopy,SNMs such as^(235,238)U are excited by a wide-band photon beam of appropriate energy and exhibit unique NRF signatures.Monte Carlo simulations show that one-dimensional scans can realize isotopic identification of concealed^(235,238)U when the detector array used for interrogation has sufficiently high energy resolution.The simulated isotopic ratio^(235U/238)U is in good agreement with the theoretical value when the SNMs are enclosed in relatively thin iron.This interrogation is followed by t NRF spectroscopy using a narrow-band photon beam with the goal of obtaining tomographic images of the concealed SNMs.The reconstructed image clearly reveals the position of the isotope^(235)U inside an iron rod.It is shown that the interrogation time of s NRF and t NRF spectroscopy is one order of magnitude lower than that when only t NRF spectroscopy is used and results in a missed-detection rate of 10^(-3).The proposed method can also be applied for isotopic imaging of other SNMs such as^(239,240)Pu and^(237)Np.

A general framework for describing photofission observables of actinides at an average excitation energy below 30 MeV

A reasonable prediction of photofission observables plays a paramount role in understanding the photofission process and guiding various photofission-induced applications,such as short-lived isotope production,nuclear waste disposal,and nuclear safeguards.However,the available experimental data for photofission observables are limited,and the existing models and programs have mainly been developed for neutron-induced fission processes.In this study,a general framework is proposed for characterizing the photofission observables of actinides,including the mass yield distributions(MYD) and isobaric charge distributions(ICD) of fission fragments and the multiplicity and energy distributions of prompt neutrons(n_(p)) and prompt γ rays(γ_(p)).The framework encompasses various systematic neutron models and empirical models considering the Bohr hypothesis and does not rely on the experimental data as input.These models are then validated individually against experimental data at an average excitation energy below 30 MeV,which shows the reliability and robustness of the general framework.Finally,we employ this framework to predict the characteristics of photofission fragments and the emissions of prompt particles for typical actinides including ^(232)Th,^(235,238)U and ^(240)Pu.It is found that the ^(238)U(γ,f) reaction is more suitable for producing neutron-rich nuclei compared to the ^(232)Th(γ,f) reaction.In addition,the average multiplicity number of both n_(p) and yp increases with the average excitation energy.