Title: Photon strength functions in Gd isotopes studied from resonance neutron capture Author: RNDr. Jiří Kroll Department: Intitute of particle and nuclear physics Supervisor: doc. Mgr. Milan Krtička, Ph.D., Intitute of particle and nuclear physics Abstract: Photon strength functions have been studied for more than sixty years. A number of theoretical models was proposed to describe experimental data during that time. However, the correctness of these models is still very questionable and its verification is the subject of very intensive experimental and theoretical activity at present time. In this thesis the analysis of spectra of γ rays following the radiative capture of neutrons on isolated neutron resonances of 152,154−158 Gd nuclei is used to study photon strength functions. Experimental data were measured using segmented DANCE calorimeter that is installed at Los Alamos Neutron Scattering Center in New Mexico, USA. Experimental spectra are then compared with the outputs of Monte Carlo simulation of nuclear elec- tromagnetic decay, performed by DICEBOX code, that is based on the validity of the so-called Extreme Statistical Model. The response of the detector system to generated γ cascades was subsequently calculated using the Geant4 code. An analysis of the data clearly indicates that magnetic...

The γ decay of highly excited nuclear levels can be described within the statistical model of nucleus in terms of the level density and a set of photon strength functions. The knowledge of these quantities enables more accurate calculations of reaction rates in many different reactions which are important especially in nuclear astrophysics and in the development of advanced nuclear reactors. Despite the fact that the photon strength functi- ons have been studied for decades, there are still contradicting experimental results regarding the low energy behavior of dipole strength. One of these ca- ses is the shape of electric dipole photon strength function and the strength of the scissors mode in well-deformed rare-earth nuclei. In this thesis the ana- lyses of γ-ray spectra measured by two different experimental setups are pre- sented. The two-step γ cascades measurements with odd gadolinium targets were performed at the research reactor LVR-15 at the Research Centre Řež. In the multi-step γ cascades experiments the γ rays following resonance ne- utron capture on 161−163 Dy targets were measured with the highly-segmented γ-ray calorimeter Detector for Advanced Neutron Capture Experiments in the Los Alamos Neutron Science Center at Los Alamos National Labora- tory. Experimental spectra were compared...

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