[PAST EVENT] Physics Colloquium

March 2, 2018
4pm - 5pm
Location
Small Hall, Room 111
300 Ukrop Way
Williamsburg, VA 23185Map this location
Joshua Magee

Physics Colloquium, Joshua A. Magee, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Title of Talk: Precision Measurements of Neutron Induced Fission Cross Sections of Actinides

Abstract: Neutron induced fission of actinides is of great interest in nuclear applications (for example, nuclear energy and security). Fission reaction rates, or cross sections, have traditionally been made using fission chambers, which provide limited information on the fission products, and report results good to only a few percent. These are inadequate for next generation reactor simulations which require sub-percent knowledge of these cross sections. To meet this need, the Neutron Induced Fission Fragment Tracking Experiment (NIFFTE) collaboration designed and built the fission Time Projection Chamber (fissionTPC), which provides additional information on the fission products through full 3-dimensional tracking and improved particle identication. Ultimately, this should provide the first sub-percent measurements of the (n,f) cross sections of 239Pu and 238 relative to 235U.