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The yield of 139Ba in the fission of natural uranium by fast and slow neutrons

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  24 October 2008

E. Broda
Affiliation:
Cavendish LaboratoryCambridge
L. Kowarski
Affiliation:
Cavendish LaboratoryCambridge
D. West
Affiliation:
Cavendish LaboratoryCambridge

Abstract

The yields of 139Ba per fission in natural uranium by unslowed neutrons from a mixed radium-beryllium source and by C-group neutrons were compared. In each case the fission rates measured with an ionization chamber were correlated with the β-ray activity of 139Ba, chemically extracted from a mass of uranium oxide exposed to an identical neutron spectrum. The ratio of the two fission yields is found to be 0·84 ± 0·03. The possibility of using 139Ba as a local or integrating indicator of fission in extended uraniferous media, and of distinguishing between the contributions by fast neutrons and by slow neutrons is discussed.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge Philosophical Society 1948

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References

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