A potential photo-transmutation of fission products triggered by Compton backscattering photons

We investigated the transmutation of some fission product nuclides (129)l, (135)Cs, (126)Sn, (93)Zr, (107)Pd, (137)Cs and (90)Sr, induced by the Compton backscattering (CBS) photons generated from the future Shanghai Laser Electron Gamma Source (SLEGS) facility. The evaluated photo-transmutation rates for (129)I, (135)CS, (126)Sn, (93)Zr, (107)Pd, (137)CS and (90)Sr can achieve 2.5 x 10(6), 1.3 x 10(6), 4.8 x 10(6), 2.7 x 10(6), 9.4 x 10(6), 1.3 x 10(6) and 1.6 x 10(6) per second, respectively, improving 4-5 orders of magnitude compared with those via the bremsstrahlung photons by a 10(20) W/cm(2) laser. The maximum transmutation Coupling efficiencies of the CBS photons were estimated to be 1.36% for (129)I, 1.70% for (135)Cs, 2.02% for (126)Sn, 1.03% for (90)Zr, 1.52% for (107)Pd. 1.62% for (137)Cs and 1.72% for (90)Sr, which are 2-6 times as those via the bremsstrahlung method by the 10(20) W/cm(2) laser. Moreover, we presented a possible experimental method for the future SLEGS facility to check the estimated results. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.