$^{239}$Pu Cumulative Fast Fission Product Yield Analysis
ORAL
Abstract
Precise integral measurement of fast neutron-induced fission product yields for various actinides is of high interest for applied nuclear science. The goal of this effort is to improve uncertainties in fission product yield values of $^{239}$Pu. Fission was induced in a pure $^{239}$Pu ($>99\%$) target using the Godiva-IV critical assembly in burst mode. The irradiated sample was transferred to a high-resolution $\gamma$-ray detector within 45 minutes. $\gamma$-ray list mode data was collected from 45 minutes to 1 week after the irradiation. $\gamma$-ray spectroscopy was performed to analyze the time dependent $\gamma$-ray yields using an automated peak search algorithm to identify isotopes by their decay $\gamma$-ray energy and half-life. The initial activity for each isotope identified was used to calculate their fission product yield.
*This work was funded by the Office of Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation Research and Development within the U.S. DOE - NNSA. This work was performed under the auspices of the U.S. DOE by LLNL under Contract DE-AC52-07NA27344. The National Criticality Experiments Research Center (NCERC), utilized in this work, is supported by the U.S. DOE Nuclear Criticality Safety Program, funded and managed by the NNSA for the DOE.
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