Simulating γ-γ coincidences of β-delayed γ-rays from fission product nuclei

摘要

Analyzing radiation from material that has undergone neutron induced fission is important for fields such as nuclear forensics, reactor physics, and nonproliferation monitoring. The γ-ray spectroscopy of fission products is a major part of the characterization of a material's fissile inventory and the energy of incident neutrons inducing fission. Cumulative yields and γ-ray intensities from nuclear databases are inputs into a GEANT4 simulation to create expected γ-ray spectra from irradiated ~(235)U. The simulations include not only isotropically emitted γ-rays but also γ-γ cascades from certain fission products, emitted with their appropriate angular correlations. Here y singles spectra as well as γ-γ coincidence spectra are simulated in detectors at both 90° and 180° pairings. The ability of these GEANT4 Monte Carlo simulations to duplicate experimental data is explored in this work. These simulations demonstrate potential in exploiting angular correlations of γ-γ cascades in fission product decays to determine isotopic content. Analyzing experimental and simulated γ-γ coincidence spectra as opposed to singles spectra should improve the ability to identify fission product nuclei since such spectra are cleaner and contain more resolved peaks when compared to γ singles spectra.