Vol 79, No 13 (2016)

The conditions under which (n,γ) and (n,2n) reactions can help or hinder each other in neutron transmutation of long-lived fission products (LLFPs) are considered. Isotopic and elemental transmutation for the main long-lived fission products, ⁷⁹Se, ⁹³Zr, ⁹⁹Tc, ¹⁰⁷Pd, ¹²⁶Sn, ¹²⁹I, and ¹³⁵Cs, are considered. The effect of (n,2n) reactions on the equilibrium amount of nuclei of the transmuted isotope and the neutron consumption required for the isotope processing is estimated. The aim of the study is to estimate the influence of (n,2n) reactions on efficiency of neutron LLFP transmutation. The code TIME26 and the libraries of evaluated nuclear data ABBN-93, JEF-PC, and JANIS system are applied. The following results are obtained: (1) The effect of (n,2n) reactions on the minimum number of neutrons required for transmutation and the equilibrium amount of LLFP nuclei is estimated. (2) It is demonstrated that, for three LLFP isotopes (¹²⁶Sn, ¹²⁹I, and ¹³⁵Cs), (n,γ) and (n,2n) reactions are partners facilitating neutron transmutation. The strongest effect of (n,2n) reaction is found for ¹²⁶Sn transmutation (reduction of the neutron consumption by 49% and the equilibrium amount of nuclei by 19%).

A survey of experiments at the Dubna gas-filled recoil separator (Laboratory of Nuclear Reactions, JINR, Dubna) aimed at the detection and study of the “island of stability” of superheavy nuclei produced in complete fusion reactions of ⁴⁸Са ions and ²³⁸U–²⁴⁹Cf target nuclei is given. The problems of synthesis of superheavy nuclei, methods for their identification, and investigation of their decay properties, including the results of recent experiments at other separators (SHIP, BGS, TASCA) and chemical setups, are discussed. The studied properties of the new nuclei, the isotopes of elements 112–118, as well as the properties of their decay products, indicate substantial growth of stability of the heaviest nuclei with increasing number of neutrons in the nucleus as the magic number of neutrons N = 184 is approached.

A survey of recent results obtained using the nuclear track emulsion (NTE) technique in low energy applications is given. NTE irradiation with 60 MeV ⁸He nuclei provides identification of their decays at stopping, evaluation of the possibility of α range spectrometry, and observation of drift of thermalized ⁸Не atoms. Correlations of α particles studied in ¹²С → 3α splitting induced by 14.1 MeV neutrons indicate the presence of a superposition of 0⁺ and 2⁺ states of the ⁸Be nucleus in the ground state of ¹²С. Angular correlations of fragments are studied in boron-enriched NTE, and the prospects of NTE application in radioactivity and nuclear fission research are discussed. It is proposed to use an automated microscope to search for collinear tripartition of heavy nuclei implanted in NTE. Surface irradiation of NTE by a ²⁵²Cf source is started. Planar events containing fragment pairs and long range α particles, as well as fragment triples, are studied. NTE samples are calibrated using Kr and Xe ions with an energy of 1.2 and 3 A MeV.

This article comprises the results of comprehensive study of the structure and distribution in the high temperature fracture area of rapidly quenched heat-resistant superalloy of grade EP741NP after tensile tests. The structure and boron distribution in the fracture area are studied in detail by means of direct track autoradiography in combination with metallography of macro- and microstructure. A rather extensive region of microcracks generation and intensive boron redistribution is detected in the high temperature fracture area of rapidly quenched nickel superalloy of grade EP741NP. A significant decrease in boron content in the fracture area and formation of elliptically arranged boride precipitates are revealed. The mechanism of intense boron migration and stability violation of the structural and phase state in the fracture area of rapidly quenched heat-resistant nickel superalloy of grade EP741NP is proposed on the basis of accounting for deformation occurring in the fracture area and analysis of the stressed state near a crack.

The concept of a new-generation terrestrial Cherenkov gamma observatory is proposed on the basis of the results of numerical modeling and research and development work. The key parameters of this observatory are estimated. Its primary objective should be the observation of cosmic gamma-ray sources in the 5–50 GeV energy range. Neither ground-based Cherenkov gamma observatories nor orbital gamma telescopes are presently able to perform such observations efficiently.

The spatial distribution of the Cherenkov light generated by cascade showers is analyzed using the NEVOD Cherenkov water detector. The dependence of the Cherenkov light intensity on the depth of shower development at various distances from the shower axis is investigated for the first time. The experimental data are compared with the Cherenkov light distributions predicted by various models for the scattering of cascade particles.

Transformation of the Vavilov–Cherenkov radiation cone under grazing interaction of a relativistic electron with a layer of substance is theoretically studied. It is shown that this effect can occur when the electron enters the substance layer.