Thesis (Ph. D.)--Oregon State University, 2009. / Printout. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 86-90). Also available on the World Wide Web.

Magister Scientiae - MSc / The odd – odd Tl nuclei with A ≥ 190 have moderate oblate nuclear deformation and show rotational bands built on different quasiparticle excitations. Several phenomena, not yet fully understood, were observed in these nuclei, such as large signature splitting in the yrast band (built on a πh9/2⊗νi13/2 configuration), possible non – axiality of the nuclear shape, etc. In this work the high – spin states in 194Tl were studied. The 194Tl nuclei were produced in the 181Ta (18O, 5n) 194Tl reaction at a beam energy of 93 MeV and the γ - rays were detected using the AFRODITE array. The obtained extended level scheme of 194Tl is presented and discussed in this work. CSM (Cranking shell model) and TRS (Total Routhians Surface) models were both applied to interpret the results for band 1. The results were compared with the neighboring isotone 193Hg. / South Africa

The National Nuclear Data Center (NNDC) contains a compilation of information on the beta decays of Gallium isotopes. In the mass range A = 74 to 77, the Germanium daughters lie close to or at the valley of stability leading us to believe the decays would have been well studied. However, closer inspection indicates significant conflict for placement of gamma rays and energy levels between different measurements, especially for upper-lying states. Detailed beta-decay studies for the 74-77Ga isotopes were performed using a high resolution four clover Hyper-Pure Germanium (HPGe) detector system with two beta scintillators in the Holifield Radioactive Ion Beam Facility (HRIBF) at Oak Ridge National Lab (ORNL) to better understand the structure of the corresponding 74-77Ge daughter nuclei. In our experiments, use of a high-resolution mass separator greatly improved the purity of the samples in comparison to previous measurements. Besides that, the efficiency of the detector system we utilized was much higher than used in previous studies. We also established a method to determine statistically significant gamma gamma coincidence relationships to add reliability to the placement of gamma rays to energy levels and avoid experimental biases. From our analysis, we have established comprehensive decay schemes for all four Germanium nuclei in this study. In most cases, we have extended the energy levels to cover more of the energy window available for beta decay. Our proposed 74Ge decay scheme contains 44 energy levels occupying up to 4.36-MeV with the placement of 99 gamma rays. Similarly, 75Ga decay scheme contains 72 gamma rays with 29 energy levels occupying up to 2.75 MeV. The 76Ga decay scheme has 49 excited states with 100 gamma rays occupying up to 4.81 MeV. And, the 77Ge decay scheme has 68 gamma rays and 34 energy levels occupying up to 3.14 MeV. Based on the expanded level schemes, betaeeding intensity and log(ft) value lower limits were calculated and attempts were made to assign the spin-parity of the observed states. The resulting level schemes were then compared with the Nushellx theoretical predictions.

The purpose of this project is to simulate the detection of γ-ray spectra emitted by radon isotopes and their daughters. This is done as a contribution to the development of radiation detectors to be used in a research project investigating the possibility of using increased amounts of the radioactive gas radon as an earthquake precursor. Before the onset of an earthquake, microcracks are formed in the surrounding stone structures due to stress, releasing greater than usual amounts of radon gas contained within the rock pores. A way of predicting an upcoming earthquake would then be to place radiation detectors in areas with high seismicity in order to measure possible changes. This could be done in soil, groundwater (via springs, wells, and boreholes), or air. In this project, we aim to understand how measurements in groundwater would differ from ones in air, and how to best make use of the spectra as seen in water. This was done by simulating a scenario in which a scintillator detector, made of cesium iodide, is placed in each media and then assessing the resulting γ-ray spectra.

The quality of the spectral data collected by radiological survey systems depends on many factors including the survey environment, configuration of the system and its detectors, and the radionuclides in question. Algorithms in the field of machine learning have the potential to classify data that would be difficult and time-intensive for a human to analyze. Depleted and natural uranium spectra are of particular interest due to known contamination at domestic sites and world-wide. Several machine learning classifiers were developed with data collected from laboratory experiments. This thesis demonstrates the potential of machine learning algorithms to discriminate gamma-ray emitting sources using sparse, or low-count statistic, data. Effectiveness has been demonstrated for discriminating chemical forms of uranium, mixtures with differing uranium isotope distributions, and predicting source masses given certain detector geometries and a known target distribution. All activity has been supported by the U.S. Army Engineering Research and Development Center (ERDC).

The importance of gamma-ray spectroscopy – the science of determining the distribution of energy in a gamma field – can rarely be overstated. High performance scintillators for gamma-ray spectroscopy in Nuclear Nonproliferation applications and homeland security require excellent energy resolution to distinguish neighboring element and isotope lines while minimizing the time and exposure to do so. Semiconductor detectors operate by converting incident photons directly into electrical pulses, but often have problems of high costs due to constituent segregation and surface states as is the case for Cadmium Zinc Telluride. The ideal scintillator material for gamma spectrometer will therefore requires high light yield, excellent proportionality between light yield and gamma photon energy, and material uniformity. A scintillator should possess the following properties; it should convert the kinetic energy of the generated charged particles (typically K-shell electrons) into detectable visible light. This conversion should be linear-the light yield should be proportional to deposited energy over as wide a range as possible. For good light collection, the medium should be transparent to the wavelength of its own emission. The decay time of the induced luminescence should be short so that fast signal pulses can be generated. The medium should be of good optical quality and subject to manufacture in sizes large enough to be of interest as a practical detector. Its index of refraction should be near that of glass (~1.5) to permit efficient coupling of scintillation light to a photomultiplier tube or other photo-sensor. In the past decade, inorganic scintillator research has focused less on improving the characteristics of known scintillators, but rather on the search for new hosts capable of fast response and high energy resolution. Extensive searches have been made for hosts doped with lanthanide activators utilizing the allowed 5d-4f transition. These 5d-4f transitions are dipole-allowed and thus are about 106 times stronger than the more frequently observed 4f-4f transition in the trivalent rare earth ions. Ce3+, Nd3+ and Pr3+ have been investigated for fast response applications while Ce3+, Eu2+ and Yb2+ stand out as the most promising activators offering high light yield, and high energy resolution. Using a modified Bridgman growth technique we have grown crystals with a low energy resolution of 2.6% at 662 keV, which is lower than the previous 2.8% reported for SrI2:Eu2+. The modified technique (called so for its vertical crystal growth orientation) is necessary due to the anisotropic thermal expansion coefficient of Strontium Iodide. The problem plaguing the growth of the crystal is spontaneous cracking, which usually appear during cooling in the bulk. With the use of a zone separating shield, one can achieve more control of the temperature gradient between the two zones without compromising the actual temperature of the two zones. Additionally the use of codopants, in particular divalent magnesium improved the crystalline quality by acting as a gathering for iodine ions, which led to reduction of defect density.

Neste trabalho são apresentados os resultados obtidos do estudo da estrutura do núcleo \'ANTPOT. 58 CO\' utilizando a técnica de espectroscopia de raios gama em linha. Este núcleo foi produzido a partir da reação de fusão-evaporação \'ANTPOT. 51 V\'(ANTPOT. 10 B\', p2n), com energia de feixe de 33 MeV incidindo em três alvos de 200\'mü\'g/\'cm POT. 2\', realizada no acelerador Pelletron da Universidade de São Paulo. Foram feitas medidas em coincidência \'gama\'\'gama\'-partícula com o espectrômetro de raios \'gama\' Saci-Pererê, composto de 4 detectores de GeHP com blindagem Compton, e um sistema auxiliar para detectar partículas carregadas, consistindo de 11 telescópios cintiladores \'delta\'E-E tipo phoswich. Foram encontradas quarenta e sete transições novas que depopulam trinta e sete novos estados. O esquema de níveis proposto foi estendido até uma energia de excitação de 8 MeV e momento angular de \'J POT. pi\'=\'11 POT. +\'. A atribuição dos valores de spins foi baseada na razão DCO (Correlação Direcional de Estados Orientados). Os resultados experimentais foram comparados com os calculados pelo Modelo de Camadas em Larga Escala (LSSM) utilizando os códigos MSHELL e Antoine, assim como a interação residual GXPF1, desenvolvida para ser usada na camada pf Foram interpretados dezenove estados excitados a partir do LSSM. Foram medidas também as vidas médias para treze estados excitados do \'ANTPOT. 58 CO\' utilizando o Método de Deslocamento Doppler Atenuado (DSAM). Para este estudo, o núcleo \'ANTPOT. 58 CO\' foi produzido a partir da reação \'ANTPOT. 51 V\'(ANTPOT. 10 B\', p2n) com energia de feixe de 36 MeV, usando um alvo de 770\'mü\'g/\'cm POT. 2\' prensado em um suporte de Pb. Os valores experimentais também foram comparados aos cálculos do LSSM. Probabilidades de transição reduzidas B(Ml), e portanto as vidas médias, foram bem reproduzidas pelo modelo teórico para cinco níveis identificados. Os níveis de energia observados apresentaram funções de onda com grande mistura de configurações sendo a principal dada por \'pi\'\'f POT -1 IND. 7/2\' (PRODUTO VETORIAL) v \'p POT 2 IND. 3/2\' \'f POT 1 IND. 5/2\',. Os resultados indicam que a maior parte dos estados excitados do núcleo \'ANTPOT. 58 CO\' tem um comportamento esférico e são bem reproduzidos considerando excitações de partícula única / The excited states in the doubly odd nucleus \'ANTPOT. 58 CO\' have been studied using inbeam gama-ray spectroscopy. The \'ANTPOT. 58 CO\' nucleus has been produced with the fusionevaporation reaction \'ANTPOT. 51 V\'(ANTPOT. 10 B\', p2n) at 33 MeV bombarding energy, using the SMV Pelletron accelerator of the University of São Paulo. Gamrna-gamma-charged particle coincidences were measured with the Saci-Pererê gama-ray spectrometer composed of 4 Compton-suppressed GeHP and an ancillary charged-particle detector system composed of 11 plastic phoswich scintillator ~E-E telescopes. We have found 47 new gama-transitions de-populating 37 new excited states. A level scheme extending up to an excitation energy of about 8.0 MeV and spin \'J POT. pi\'=\'11 POT. +\' has been proposed. The spin assignments were based on the DCO (Directional Correlation from Oriented States) ratios. The experimental results were compared with Large Scale Shell Model (LSSM) calculations performed with the MSHELL and Antoine codes using the GXPFl effective interaction, developed for use in the pf shell. We have interpreted 19 excited states in the frame of the LSSM. We have measured also the lifetimes for 13 excited states of the \'ANTPOT. 58 CO\' nucleus. The lifetimes were measured with the Doppler Shift Attenuation Method (DSAM). For this study the \'ANTPOT. 58 CO\' nuclei were populated with the reaction \'ANTPOT. 51 V\'(ANTPOT. 10 B\', p2n) at 36 MeV bombarding energy, using a target consisting of a 770\'mü\'g/\'cm POT. 2\' foil with Pb backing. The experimental values were also compared with the LSSM calculations. Experimental B(M1) reduced transition probabilities, and thus the lifetimes, are well reproduced by the theoretical model for fi v e o f the identified levels. The observed levels presented wave functions with large configuration mixing with the main configuration being \'pi\'\'f POT -1 IND. 1/2\' (PRODUTO VETORIAL) v \'p POT 2 IND. 3/2\' \'f POT 1 IND. 5/2\',. The results indicate that most of the excited states in the \'ANTPOT. 58 CO\' nucleus has a spherical behavior and is well reproduced considering single-particle excitations.

Studying nuclei beyond the proton dripline can provide valuable information on the structure of nuclei at the limits of stability, where the strong nuclear force starts to be overcome by Coulomb repulsion between protons. Simple experimental observables, such as excitation energies and lifetimes of excited states in these proton-unbound nuclei can provide information on the nuclear wave function. Experimental data, such as that presented in this work, can then be used to improve models of nuclear structure at the proton dripline. This thesis presents data from a recoil-decay tagged differential plunger experiment undertaken at the University of Jyvaskyla in 2014. A fusion-evaporation reaction was used to populate excited states in the deformed ground-state proton emitter 113Cs. The JUROGAM-RITU-GREAT experimental setup was used to correlate gamma rays emitted from these excited states with protons emitted from 113Cs and the differential plunger for unbound nuclear states (DPUNS) was placed at the target position to measure the excited state lifetimes. The lifetime of the (11/2+) state in the most intense rotational band of 113Cs was measured to be tau = 24(6) ps, while a limit of tau is less than or equal to 5 ps was found for the lifetime of the higher energy (15/2+) state. The lifetime of proton emission was measured to be tau = 24.2(2) microseconds. The experimental data were used to test the predictions of a non adiabatic quasi-particle model for proton-emitting nuclei, which was employed to deduce the deformation of the states in 113Cs. Wave functions from the non adiabatic quasi-particle model were used to independently calculate proton-emission rates, gamma-ray transition rates and excited state energies as functions of deformation. The deformation of 113Cs could then be extracted from the intersection of the different theoretical values and experimental observables. A deformation of beta2 = 0.22(6)was extracted from the (11/2+) excitation energy and lifetime. The deformation values taken from the proton-emission rate and the lifetime limit of the (15/2+) state were also consistent with this value. The consistency of the different deformations calculated shows the effectiveness of the non adiabatic quasi-particle method when used to calculate the properties of deformed ground-state proton-emitters.

This thesis studies the possibility of using the Monte Carlo simulation program FLUKA to determine the neutron induced radioactivity of concrete walls at the The Svedberg Laboratory (TSL) in Uppsala. If a simulation of the activation would produce reliable results, it would be a useful complement to measurements for the decommissioning and clearance of the buildings of the facility. An experiment was performed in which a concrete core was taken from one of the non-activated walls in the facility. The core was cut into samples and irradiated with a neutron beam. The samples were then measured in a gamma-ray spectroscopy setup, by which the produced radioactive nuclides were identified and their activities determined. The same setup was then simulated in FLUKA. A comparison of the simulations and the measurements shows that the average activity for all nuclides obtained with FLUKA is similar to the measured one, however with large differences for some nuclides. The average ratio of the simulated and measured activities or all nuclides is 1.07 with a standard deviation of 0.55. The obtained results may be useful for future radiological clearance work at TSL.

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