LD2668 .T4 1962 R39

Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2015. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Reported claims of a solar neutrino influence on radioactive β - -decay rates prompted a series of three long term measurements that were carried out at the Koeberg nuclear power plant North of Cape Town to investigate the mirror reaction of reactor antineutrinos with a β + - source. The β + -emitter 22Na was exposed to a changing reactor antineutrino flux of the order of ~1012 cm-2 s -1 through the various phases of reactor operation, from off to on or vice versa, to investigate the antineutrino effect on its decay rate. 22Na sources were placed on the face of or inside a scintillation detector while γ-ray energy spectra were measured at source-toreactor-core distances of 17 m and 23 m for reactor unit #1 and unit #2 respectively. The analytical method employed uses ratios of the net-peak count rates of the photopeaks in the γ- ray energy spectra while the antineutrino flux changes during the various phases of reactor operation. These ratios reduce some potential systematic factors such as dead time, but should also remain constant during all phases of reactor operation and be independent of antineutrino flux if antineutrinos have no significant effect on the decay rate of 22Na. Measurement series 1 employed a LaBr3(Ce) detector. Results indicated an effect between reactor-off and –on corresponding to an antineutrino interaction cross section upper limit of the order of barns, assuming that antineutrinos are indeed the cause. Subsequently, two confirmation measurements were performed using a normal (cylindrical) NaI(Tl) detector as well as a NaI(Tl) well-counter. Results of these two measurements did not indicate any correlation with the reactor status. Measurements series 3 proved to be the most sensitive measurement for detecting changes in the decay rate of 22Na and an upper limit of ~10-25 cm 2 was estimated for the cross section of antineutrinos interacting with 22Na. This upper limit is one order of magnitude smaller compared to measurements series 1 and two orders of magnitude smaller compared to measurement series 2. It is also one of magnitude smaller than the effect reported by Jenkins et al. and two orders of magnitude smaller than observed by de Meijer et al. at the Delft reactor. Considering the systematic effects encountered during each measurement series we find no significant evidence for antineutrinos affecting β + -decay in 22Na. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Berigte bewerings van son-afkomstige neutrinos se invloed op β - -verval het gelei tot drie lang termyn metings wat uitgevoer is by die Koeberg kernkrag stasie Noord van Kaapstad om die spieëldbeeld reaksie van antineutrinos met ‘n β + -bron te ondersoek. Die 22Na β + -bron is blootgestel aan ‘n veranderende reaktor antineutrino vloed van die order ~1012 cm -2 s -1 soos die reaktor deur verskeie fases van operasie gaan, vanaf afgeskakel na aangeskakel of omgekeerd, om die effek van antineutrinos op die bron se vervaltempo te ondersoek. 22Na bronne was teen die voorkant of binne ‘n sintillator detektor geplaas terwyl γ-straal energie spektra gemeet was by bron-tot-reaktor kern afstande van 17 m en 23 m vir reaktor eenheid #1 en #2 afsonderlik. Die analitiese metode gebruik verhoudings van die netto-piek teltempos van die fotopieke in die γ-straal energie spektra terwyl die antineutrino vloed verander tydens verskeie fases van reaktor operasie. Hierdie verhoudings verminder sekere potensiële systematiese effekte soos dooietyd en moet konstant bly tydens alle fases van reaktor operasie en moet ook onafhanklik wees van die antineutrino vloed indien antineutrinos geen effek het op die vervaltempo van 22Na nie. Die eerste reeks metings het gebruik gemaak van ‘n LaBr3(Ce) detektor. Resultate het ‘n effek getoon tussen reaktor-af en reaktor-aan wat ooreenstem met ‘n boonste limiet vir die interaksie kansvlak van antineutrinos met grootteorde van barns, indien antineutrinos wel die oorsaak is. Twee reekse van opvolgende metings is uitgevoer wat gebruik gemaak het van ‘n gewone (silindriese) NaI(Tl) detektor asook ‘n NaI(Tl) put detektor. Resultate van hierdie metings het geen korrelasie met die reaktor status gewys nie. Die derde reeks metings was die sensitiefste om veranderinge in die verval tempo van 22Na te wys en ‘n boonste limiet vir die interaksie kansvlak van antineutrinos op 22Na was beraam as ~10-25 cm 2 . Hierdie boonste limiet is een grootteorde kleiner in vergelyking met reeks 1 en twee grootteordes kleiner as reeks 2. Dit is ook een grootteorde kleiner as die waarde van Jenkins et al. en twee grootteordes kleiner as wat de Meijer et al. berig het by die Delft reaktor. In agneming van die systematise probleme wat ondervind was tydens die drie reeks metings vind ons geen beduidende effek van antineutrinos op die vervaltempo van 22Na nie.

The problem of interest in this investigation was to determine the cross sections of five nuclear reactions which occur when irradiating natural palladium with neutrons which have energy values of 15.1, 15.9, and 16.3 MeV. The cross sections were measured relative to a copper monitor which was "sandwitched" in with the palladium target.

A Dissertation Submitted to the Faculty of Science, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg for the degree of Master of Science. Johannesburg March 1975

Fizemos medidas de fusao nuclear e de espalhamento elastico nos sistemas ANTPOT.16,18 O+ANTPOT.63,65 CU. Os dados foram obtidos entre as energias 39 e 64 mev. Observamos significativas diferencas entre sistemas com ANTPOT. 63 CU e com ANTPOT.65 CU como nucleos-alvos, em contraposicao a uma insensibilidade em relacao ao projetil. Propusemos um modelo teorico que explica os resultados experimentais tanto em relacao ao espalhamento elastico como em relacao a fusao nuclear. Tal modelo esta fundamentado no incremento da absorcao suprficial devido aos dois neutrons extras do ANTPOT.65 CU (em relacao ao ANTPOT.63 CU) / Experimental study of the isotopic dependence on nuclear fusion and elastic scattering systems

O presente trabalho apresenta uma tentativa de teste experimental do cálculo do espectro de fótons virtuais de quadrupolo elétrico, medindo a função de excitação (e, ) de um nível isolado 2+ do 24Mg situado em 20.14 MeV. Os resultados são comparados com as previsões dos cálculos mais recentes. A seção de choque duplamente diferencial d2 /ddE foi medida a 48°, 90° e 132° no sistema de laboratório, para energias de excitação do 24Mg entre 19 e 23 MeV. Esta seção de choque foi medida nas energias totais de elétron incidente de 20.0, 20.8, 21.5, 24.0, 26.0, 28.0, 30.0, 32.0, 36.0, 40.0 MeV. São apresentados as medidas experimentais e os valores calculados usando a aproximação de ondas distorcidas (DWBA) para núcleo puntiforme e finito. Como resultado secundário, extraiu-se a intensidade do nível, através do elemento reduzido de matriz de transição B(E2). / To test experimentally the quadrupole virtual photon spectrum calculation, the (e,) excitation function of an isolated 2+ level at 20.14 MeV in 24Mg was measured. The most recent calculations in DWBA, including nuclear size effects, are compared to this experimental curve. The differential cross section d2 /d dE was measured at 48°, 90°, and 132° in the laboratory system, for total electron energies of 20.0, 20.8, 21.5, 24.0, 26.0, 28.0, 30.0, 32.0, 36.0, and 40.0 MeV. The reduced matrix element B(E2) of the 20,14 MeV level is extracted as a secondary product of this work.

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This study investigates the fusion and scattering of nuclei at energies spanning the Coulomb barrier. The coupling of the relative motion of the nuclei to internal degrees of freedom can be thought to give rise to a distribution of potential barriers. ¶ Two new methods to extract representations of these potential barrier distributions are suggested using the eigen-channel model. The new techniques are based on measurements of quasi-elastic and elastic backscattering excitation functions, from which the representations are extracted by differentiation. A third method utilizing transfer excitation functions is introduced using qualitative arguments. The techniques are investigated experimentally for the reactions 16O + 92Zr, 144,154Sm, 186W and 208Pb. The results are compared with barrier distribution representations obtained from fusion data. The methods are further explored using the systems 40Ca + 90,96Zr and 32S + 208Pb, for which scattering and fusion excitation functions have been measured. The new barrier distribution representations are consistent with the one from fusion. They are direct evidence of the effects of the internal degrees of freedom on channels other than the fusion channel. ¶ The new representations are, however, less sensitive to the barrier distribution compared to their fusion counterpart. This observation is investigated using coupled-channels calculations. They suggest that residual weak reaction channels, which are not included in the coupling matrix, are responsible for the reduction in sensitivity. In the case of quasi-elastic scattering a distortion of the barrier structure above the average barrier is observed. This effect appears to be due to the de-phasing of the scattering amplitudes contributing to each eigen-channel. Using the heaviest system, 32S + 208Pb, it is demonstrated that there is no improvement in sensitivity to the barrier distribution for systems with large Sommerfeld parameters. This suggests that diffraction effects are not likely to be the cause of the sensitivity reduction. ¶ The new techniques may be employed successfully in systems with pronounced barrier structure below the average barrier. This is the case for the reactions 40Ca + 90,96Zr. It is shown that for these systems the quasi-elastic scattering and the fusion representations of the barrier distribution contain the same information. The extracted barrier distributions for the two reactions are distinctively different. They are compared to assess the relative importance of collective excitations and neutron transfer in fusion. Exact coupled-channels calculations show that the distribution for 40Ca + 90Zr arises from coupling of the relative motion to double phonon excitations of 90Zr. Further calculations suggest that the reaction 40Ca + 96Zr involves additional coupling to sequential neutron transfer, which is proposed to be a precursor of neutron-neck formation. ¶ Double phonon excitations are also seen to be important in the system 32S + 208Pb, for which the barrier distribution representations show in addition signatures of one and two neutron transfer.