Correlations in prompt neutrons and gamma-rays from Cf-252 spontaneous fission

Nuclear Engineering and Radiological Sciences Department, University of Michigan, 2355 Bonisteel Blvd, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA

^a e-mail: mmarcath@umich.edu

Published online: 13 September 2017

Abstract

New event-by-event fission models have prompt neutrons and gamma-rays that are correlated in time, energy, and multiplicity, however there is limited measurement data available to validate these models. Measurement of high-order fission neutron and gamma-ray coincidences is difficult and there has previously been little motivation to measure properties of both particle types simultaneously. High-order Cf-252 spontaneous fission neutron and gamma-ray coincidences were measured with a cylindrical array of 22 liquid organic and 8 NaI(Tl) scintillation detectors, 50 cm from a central axis. Waveforms were acquired and saved for post-processing using four time-synchronized CAEN V1720 digitizers. Liquid organic scintillator waveforms were analyzed with off-line pulse shape discrimination techniques to categorize neutron and gamma-ray detections. Detected multiplicity was compared with MCNPX-PoliMi simulation results, where built-in fission models and event-by-event fission models, CGMF and FREYA, have been implemented. Additionally, measured neutron energy by time-of-flight and gamma-ray energy correlated by detected multiplicity were compared to simulated results.