Cross-sections for nuclear transmutation of long-lived fission product 126Sn using (p,n) reaction

Abstract

For a sustainable nuclear energy program using fission reactors, the reduction or elimination of long-lived radioactive waste is essential. The hazardous Long-Lived Fission Products (LLFP), which are by-products of the operation of nuclear reactors, need to be converted to short-lived or stable nuclei. For nuclear transmutation, the knowledge of reaction cross-sections is important. The cross-section and half-life for the proton-induced transmutation of the LLFP, [Formula: see text]Sn, produced as nuclear waste from the reactor have been calculated. The cross-section for the (p,n) reaction on unstable [Formula: see text]Sn has been calculated using phenomenological as well as microscopic models of optical potentials and level densities in the framework of the statistical nuclear model using the latest version of the code TALYS-1.96. The Koning–Delaroche (KD) and Jeukenne–Lejeune–Mahaux–Bruyeres (JLMB) optical models, as well as back-shifted Fermi gas model (BFM) and Hartree–Fock (HF) level density, based on the Skyrme force from Gorielys tables, have been used. The renormalized optical model parameters and level density models obtained by comparing cross-sections with data for protons incident on stable [Formula: see text]Sn isotopes were extended to make a prediction of (p,n) cross-section on unstable [Formula: see text]Sn isotope. The excitation function obtained using JLMB-HF calculation for [Formula: see text]Sn reveals a peak at an incident proton energy of 8.5[Formula: see text]MeV with a corresponding cross-section of 269[Formula: see text]mb. It would be of interest to perform experiments for measurements of cross-section where data are unavailable, especially in the peak regions and beyond, to validate the predictions of this work. It is found that for a proton flux of [Formula: see text][Formula: see text]s[Formula: see text][Formula: see text]cm[Formula: see text], and a peak cross-section calculated using JLMB-HF calculation, the effective half-life of transmutation of [Formula: see text]Sn is about 65 years, thus justifying its feasibility.