College - Author 1
College of Science and Mathematics
Department - Author 1
Physics Department
Degree Name - Author 1
BS in Physics
Date
11-2017
Primary Advisor
Jennifer Klay, College of Science and Mathematics, Physics Department
Abstract/Summary
Ternary fission is a rare occurrence in which three particles are produced from a single fission event. This analysis uses tracked fission event data recorded by NIFFTE’s time projection chamber with a series of refined cuts to isolate all possible ternary events. The experiment used two targets, each consisting of two isotopes; one target was Pu-239 and U-235, and the other was U-238 and U-235. The data was used to measure the ternary/binary fission ratios for each isotope. The ratios for the Pu-239 and U-235 target that were found are shown to be too high due to alpha contamination. The U-238 and U-235 results were determined to be 0.60% and 0.59%, closer to expectations from previous measurements, but are still preliminary and subject to further investigation. An interactive 3-dimensional model was constructed in order to better visualize these events and improve the sorting of ternary fission candidates. The ternary fission candidates were analyzed for proper track lengths, energies, and vertexing.
URL: https://digitalcommons.calpoly.edu/physsp/158