Prompt Gamma Emission in Resonance Neutron Induced Fission of 239Pu

Abstract The scientific interest in the resonance neutron induced capture and fission reactions on 239 Pu 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 239 Pu 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.