Surrogate Measurement of the \u3csup\u3e238\u3c/sup\u3ePu(\u3cem\u3en,f\u3c/em\u3e\u3c/em\u3e) Cross Section

The neutron-induced fission cross section of 238Pu was determined using the surrogate ratio method. The (n,f) cross section over an equivalent neutron energy range 5–20 MeV was deduced from inelastic α-induced fission reactions on 239Pu, with 235U(α,α′f) and 236U(α,α′f) used as references. These reference reactions reflect 234U(n,f) and 235U(n,f) yields, respectively. The deduced 238Pu(n,f) cross section agrees well with standard data libraries up to ~10 MeV, although larger values are seen at higher energies. The difference at higher energies is less than 20%

Electrodeposition of Uranium and Plutonium on Thin Carbon and Titanium Substrates

Preparation of Pu and U targets on thin natural C (100 {micro}g/cm{sup 2}) and ti (2 and 3 {micro}m) substrates is described. The Actinide material of interest was first purified using ion exchange chromatography to remove any matrix contaminants or decay products present in the parent stock solution. The actinide solution was prepared in 0.05 M HNO{sub 3} with a final aliquot volume not exceeding 100 {micro}L for the deposition procedure. The electroplating cells were developed in-house and were primarily made of Teflon. The source material deposited ranged from 125 to 400 {micro}g/cm{sup 2}. It was determined that multiple layers of U and Pu were required to produce thicker targets on Ti. Plating efficiency was greatly affected by the cell volume, solution aliquot size, pre-treatment of the foils, solution mixing during palting, and the fit of the electrode contact with the target substrate. The final procedure used for deposition is described in detail

Compact fission counter for DANCE

The Detector for Advanced Neutron Capture Experiments (DANCE) consists of 160 BF{sub 2} crystals with equal solid-angle coverage. DANCE is a 4{pi} {gamma}-ray calorimeter and designed to study the neutron-capture reactions on small quantities of radioactive and rare stable nuclei. These reactions are important for the radiochemistry applications and modeling the element production in stars. The recognition of capture event is made by the summed {gamma}-ray energy which is equivalent of the reaction Q-value and unique for a given capture reaction. For a selective group of actinides, where the neutron-induced fission reaction competes favorably with the neutron capture reaction, additional signature is needed to distinguish between fission and capture {gamma} rays for the DANCE measurement. This can be accomplished by introducing a detector system to tag fission fragments and thus establish a unique signature for the fission event. Once this system is implemented, one has the opportunity to study not only the capture but also fission reactions. A parallel-plate avalanche counter (PPAC) has many advantages for the detection of heavy charged particles such as fission fragments. These include fast timing, resistance to radiation damage, and tolerance of high counting rate. A PPAC also can be tuned to be insensitive to {alpha} particles, which is important for experiments with {alpha}-emitting actinides. Therefore, a PPAC is an ideal detector for experiments requiring a fast and clean trigger for fission. A PPAC with an ingenious design was fabricated in 2006 by integrating amplifiers into the target assembly. However, this counter was proved to be unsuitable for this application because of issues related to the stability of amplifiers and the ability to separate fission fragments from {alpha}'s. Therefore, a new design is needed. A LLNL proposal to develop a new PPAC for DANCE was funded by NA22 in FY09. The design goal is to minimize the mass for the proposed counter and still be able to maintain a stable operation under extreme radioactivity and the ability to separate fission fragments from {alpha}'s. In the following sections, the description is given for the design and performance of this new compact PPAC, for studying the neutron-induced reactions on actinides using DANCE at LANL

Report on 240Am(n,x) surrogate cross section test measurement

The main goal of the test measurement was to determine the feasibility of the {sup 243}Am(p,t) reaction as a surrogate for {sup 240}Am(n,f). No data cross section data exists for neutron induced reactions on {sup 240}Am; the half-life of this isotope is only 2.1 days making direct measurements difficult, if not impossible. The 48-hour experiment was conducted using the STARS/LIBERACE experimental facility located at the 88 Inch Cyclotron at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in August 2011. A description of the experiment and results is given. The beam energy was initially chosen to be 39 MeV in order to measure an equivalent neutron energy range from 0 to 20 MeV. However, the proton beam was not stopped in the farady cup and the beam was deposited in the surrounding shielding material. The shielding material was not conductive, and a beam current, needed for proper tuning of the beam as well as experimental monitoring, could not be read. If the {sup 240}Am(n,f) surrogate experiment is to be run at LBNL, simple modifications to the beam collection site will need to be made. The beam energy was reduced to 29 MeV, which was within an energy regime of prior experiments and tuning conditions at STARS/LIBERACE. At this energy, the beam current was successfully tuned and measured. At 29 MeV, data was collected with both the {sup 243}Am and {sup 238}U targets. An example particle identification plot is shown in Fig. 1. The triton-fission coincidence rate for the {sup 243}Am target and {sup 238}U target were measured. Coincidence rates of 0.0233(1) cps and 0.150(6) cps were observed for the {sup 243}Am and {sup 238}U targets, respectively. The difference in count rate is largely attributed to the available target material - the {sup 238}U target contains approximately 7 times more atoms than the {sup 243}Am. A proton beam current of {approx}0.7 nA was used for measurements on both targets. Assuming a full experimental run under similar conditions, an estimate for the run time needed was made. Figure 2 shows the number of days needed as a function of acceptable uncertainty for a measurement of 1-20 MeV equivalent neutron energy, binned into 200 keV increments. A 5% measurement will take 3 days for U, but 20 days for Am. It may be difficult to be the sole user of the LBNL cyclotron, or another facility, for such an extended period. However, a 10% measurement will take 19 hours for U, and 5 days for Am. Such a run period is more reasonable and will allow for the first ever measurement of the {sup 240}Am(n,f) cross section. We also anticipate 40% more beam time being available at Texas A&M Cyclotron Institute compared to LBNL in FY2012. The increased amount of beam time will allow us to accumulate better statistics then what would have been available at LBNL

Predictive Modeling of Influenza Shows the Promise of Applied Evolutionary Biology

Seasonal influenza is controlled through vaccination campaigns. Evolution of influenza virus antigens means that vaccines must be updated to match novel strains, and vaccine effectiveness depends on the ability of scientists to predict nearly a year in advance which influenza variants will dominate in upcoming seasons. In this review, we highlight a promising new surveillance tool: predictive models. Developed through data-sharing and close collaboration between the World Health Organization and academic scientists, these models use surveillance data to make quantitative predictions regarding influenza evolution. Predictive models demonstrate the potential of applied evolutionary biology to improve public health and disease control. We review the state of influenza predictive modeling and discuss next steps and recommendations to ensure that these models deliver upon their considerable biomedical promise

Report on 238Pu(n,x) surrogate cross section measurement

The goal of this year's effort is to measure the {sup 238}Pu(n,f) and {sup 238}Pu(n,2n) cross section from 100 keV to 20 MeV. We designed a surrogate experiment that used the reaction {sup 239}Pu(a,a{prime}x) as a surrogate for {sup 238}Pu(n,x). The experiment was conducted using the STARS/LIBERACE experimental facility located at the 88 Inch Cyclotron at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in January 2010. A description of the experiment and status of the data analysis is given. In order to obtain a reliable {sup 238}Pu(n,x) cross section we designed the experiment using the surrogate ratio technique. This technique allows one to measure a desired, unknown, cross section relative to a known cross section. In the present example, the {sup 238}Pu(n,x) cross section of interest is determined relative to the known {sup 235}U(n,x) cross section. To increase confidence in the results, and to reduce overall uncertainties, we are also determining the {sup 238}Pu(n,x) cross section relative to the known {sup 234}U(n,x) cross section. The compound nuclei of interest for this experiment were produced using inelastic alpha scattering. For example, {sup 236}U(a,a{prime}x) served as a surrogate for {sup 235}U(n,x); analogous reactions were considered for the other cross sections. Surrogate experiments determine the probabilities for the decay of the compound nuclei into the various channels of interest (fission, gamma decay) by measuring particle-fission (p-f) or particle?gamma (p?g) reaction spectra. By comparing the decay probabilities associated with the unknown cross section to that of a known cross section it is possible to obtain the ratio of these cross sections and thus determine the unknown, desired cross section

Report on 241,242Am(n,x) surrogate cross section measurement

The main goal of this measurement is to determine the {sup 242}Am(n,f) and {sup 241}Am(n,f) cross sections via the surrogate {sup 243}Am. Gamma-ray data was also collected for the purpose of measuring the (n,2n) cross-sections. The experiment was conducted using the STARS/LIBERACE experimental facility located at the 88 Inch Cyclotron at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory the first week of February 2011. A description of the experiment and status of the data analysis follow