Neutron-induced fission cross sections of short-lived actinides with the surrogate reaction method

¹ CENBG, Chemin du Solarium B.P. 120, 33175 Gradignan, France
² IPN, Univ. Paris-Sud, 91405 Orsay, France
³ CEA Saclay, DSM/DAPNIA/SPhN, 91191 Gif-sur-Yvette cedex, France
⁴ CEA Cadarache, DEN/DER/SPRC/LEPh, 13108 Saint Paul lez Durance, France
⁵ CEA DAM DIF, 91297 Arpajon, France
⁶ LPSC, 38026 Grenoble cedex, France
⁷ Physics Division, Argonne National Laboratory, 9700 S. Cass Avenue, IL, 60439, USA

^a e-mail: jurado@cenbg.in2p3.fr

Abstract

We present a review of the fission cross section measurements made by the CENBG collaboration over the last years using the surrogate reaction method. For example the neutron-induced fission cross sections of ²³³Pa(T_1/2 = 27 d), ²⁴²Cm(T_1/2 d) and ²⁴³Cm(T_1/2 y) have been obtained by our group with this technique. The advantages and the difficulties of the surrogate method are discussed. Special attention is paid to the comparison between cross sections measured with the surrogate method and those obtained directly with neutrons at low energies. This comparison provides information on possible differences between the spin-parity distributions achieved in the two methods.