Issue |
EPJ Web Conf.
Volume 288, 2023
ANIMMA 2023 – Advancements in Nuclear Instrumentation Measurement Methods and their Applications
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Article Number | 04016 | |
Number of page(s) | 6 | |
Section | Research Reactors and Particle Accelerators | |
DOI | https://doi.org/10.1051/epjconf/202328804016 | |
Published online | 21 November 2023 |
https://doi.org/10.1051/epjconf/202328804016
New experiment for measuring the delayed neutron yields of 238U fission in the range 1 MeV to 19 MeV
1 CEA, DES, IRESNE, DER, SPRC, LEPh, Cadarache, F-13108 Saint Paul Lez Durance, France
2 CEA, DES, IRESNE, DTN, SMTA, LMN, Cadarache, F-13108 Saint Paul Lez Durance, France
3 Institut Laue-Langevin, Grenoble, France
4 CEA, DES, IRESNE, DER, SPESI, LEXIC, Cadarache, F-13108 Saint Paul Lez Durance, France
5 PTB, Braunschweig, Germany
6 GANIL, Caen, France
7 CNRS, IN2P3, LP2i, Bordeaux, France
8 CNRS, IN2P3, LPSC, Grenoble, France
Published online: 21 November 2023
In nuclear reactors operating in nominal conditions, delayed neutrons (DN) drive the kinetic behavior of the neutron population. Predicting this behavior requires therefore the knowledge of the DN yield per fission, average lifetime, and kinetic of their emission, which is described by precursors groups abundances. Characterizing the uncertainties of these macroscopic data is essential, especially as they are used to design the safety margins of reactors.
Even for major fissile isotopes such as 235U and 239Pu, discrepancies still appear between the main nuclear data library. In 2018, CEA launched the ALDEN project (Average Lifetime of DElayed Neutrons), gathering several laboratories (CEA/DES and DRF, CNRS/LPSC, LP2i and LPC Caen, ENSICAEN, and University of Caen). This collaboration aims at producing new precise DN macroscopic data for reactor applications.
Three experimental campaigns were conducted in 2018, 2019 and 2021 on the thermal fission of 233U, 235U and 239Pu at Institut Laue Langevin in Grenoble (France), giving high quality results. In February 2023, a new campaign was performed at the PTB Ion Accelerator Facility in Braunschweig (Germany), focusing on the fast fission of 238U. In particular, the DN yield was measured for eight energies between 1.5 and 19 MeV. This paper presents the experimental setup, that was adapted to the new facility and neutron spectrum. The methodology of analysis is also detailed, and some preliminary delayed neutron decay curves are showed.
Key words: Delayed neutrons / 3He proportional counters / uranium 238 / fast neutron induced fission
© The Authors, published by EDP Sciences, 2023
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
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