Reconstruction of β-delayed neutron energy spectra from recoil-ion spectroscopy of trapped ions

Beta-delayed one-neutron (beta n) emission has been investigated by confining radioactive ions in an ion trap and detecting the beta particles and recoiling nuclei that emerge following decay. In this approach, the beta n energy spectrum and branching ratio can be deduced without needing to detect the neutrons, as the neutron emission is inferred from the observed time of flight of the recoiling ions. This paper details the dominant effects that influence the extraction of the neutron energy from the time-of-flight measurement and explores the impact they have on the energy calibration and resolution.

Automated summary

This paper explores a new method for deducing neutron emission based on the time-of-flight measurement of recoiling ions, which overcomes the limitations of traditional methods that require neutron detection, and is crucial for extracting neutron energy accurately.