Total 6Li(d, xt) reaction cross sections are measured on the basis of the 16O(t, n)18F (β+, T1/2 = 109 min) activation reaction at deuteron energies of 2.5–12 MeV. Measurements are carried out at the EGP‑10 electrostatic tandem accelerator at the Russian Federal Nuclear Center All-Russian Research Institute of Experimental Physics. The error of obtained data is 12%. The cross sections are determined from the yield of 18F nuclei measured in geometry close to that of 4π. 18F nuclei are produced by tritons of the considered reaction in three SiO2 quartz tubes positioned along the direction of the deuteron beam. The technique proposed by B.Ya. Guzhovsky is validated.

Cross sections of reactions 7Li(p, n 0 + n 1)7Beg.s., 6Li(d, n 0 + n 1)7Beg.s., 7Li(d, 2n)7Be g.s., 65Сu(p, n)65Zn, 65Сu(d, 2n)65Zn, and 63Сu(d, γ)65Zn are measured on the EGP-10 electrostatic tandem accelerator at the All-Russia Research Institute of Experimental Physics by means of activation at proton (deuteron) energies of 2–10 MeV. The technique for making targets and calculating LiF layer thickness is described. Target irradiation, measuring the efficiency of γ-quanta registration, and a procedure for measuring the cross sections of reactions are discussed and their measured values are presented.

The methodology of description of kinetic phenomena in isomeric γ-reactors is developed by the example of the 178m2 Hf nuclear isomer. The consideration of processes in the isomer medium is based on an assumption that the use of the resonance NEET mechanism would make it possible to put the isomer in the trigger state and thereby to create the conditions for the chain reaction of γ decays similar to that of fissions in neutron nuclear reactors.

Experimental data on threshold anomalies in few-nucleon systems are reviewed. The wealth of spectroscopic information obtained in studies of threshold anomalies is illustrated by the 7 Li + t system near the 7 Li( t , n ) 9 Be*( E x = 1.4. MeV, T = 3/2) threshold. Analysis of the excitation functions of the 7 Li + t reaction channels allows energies of the lowest isospin T = 2 levels in the 10 Be nucleus to be obtained; their spins and parities to be established; and the quantum characteristics, mass, and energy of the first excited state of the nucleon-unstable 10 Li nucleus to be determined.

A comparative analysis of experimental data on hydrogen and helium isotope interaction with deuterons and tritons at low energy is performed. If the energy of an incident particle falls to several keV, the astrophysical factor S ( E ) rises sharply, indicating that there is an electron screening effect for such interaction. The values of electron screening potentials and enhancement factors are given for key thermonuclear reactions. It is important to allow for the electron screening effect in calculations performed during astrophysical research and in designing different thermonuclear facilities.

The excitation function for the 7Li(t, p)9Li reaction is measured at the EGP-10 electrostatic tandem accelerator (VNIIEF) at the incident triton energies E t = 5–11.3 MeV. The measurements were based on detection of delayed neutrons resulting from the decay of 9Li nuclei. The neutrons were detected by the 4π detector consisting of 3He counters enclosed in a polyethylene moderator. A pulsed mode was used for irradiating the LiF target (210 μg cm−2) of natural isotopic composition on the tantalum backing. Absolutization of the excitation function was performed against the 7Li(p, n) reaction cross sections.

To study fission characteristics of protactinium-232, the isotope under investigation was built up in the (232)Th(p, n) reaction at a proton energy of E(p) approximate to 11.5 MeV. At irradiating the layer by thermal and resonance neutrons the short-lived components with a half-decay period of similar to 6 hours were found in the yields of fission fragments. The totality of experimental data can be explained by the fact that at the thorium-232 bombardment by accelerated protons the protactinium-232 nuclei are formed in the isomer state with a half-life of T(1/2) approximate to 2.3 hour. The isomer of (232m)Pa decays approximately with the similar probability by isomer transition to the ground state (232)Pa and, as a result of alpha-decay, to the isotope (228)Ac (T(1/2) = 6.15 hour).

Tunnelling of alpha particles through the Coulomb barrier is considered. The main attention is given to the effect of sharp peaks arising in the case of coincidence of the alpha energy with that of a quasistaionary state within the barrier. The question of the alpha-nucleus potential is discussed in this light. The method is applied to the alpha decay of a compound nucleus of Pr-135. The appearance of the peaks in the spectrum of emitted particles is predicted. They can give rise to `anomalous' properties of some neutron resonances. The peaks can also be observed in the incoming alpha-nucleus channel. Observation of the peaks would give unique information about the alpha-nucleus potential.

Basic ideas underlying the design of a precision magnetic quadrupole lens for a nuclear scanning microprobe with a maximal accelerating voltage of 14 MV are set forth. Four magnetic quadrupoles are combined into doublets. The doublets are placed on adjusting gears, which bring the local coordinate system of each lens into coincidence with the laboratory system related to the axis of the beam. Each lens provides a maximal gradient of the field of 0.68 T/cm, which makes it possible to perform stigmatic focusing of the beam with a working distance of 22 cm. All lenses are nonseparable and made of one piece of high-quality electrical steel. A special lens-feeding unit is designed that provides manual and remote control of pole tip excitation.

The role of fundamental nuclear physics research in development of nuclear weapons is considered. The main characteristics of the experimental facilities of the Russian Federal Nuclear Center, All-Russia Research Institute of Experimental Physics are reported.

General ideas underlying the design of a proton beam scanning modular unit intended for a nuclear microprobe consisting of a ferromagnetic x-y scanning system and a dynamic power supply are described. For an H+ ion energy of 14 MeV, the unit provides a rectangular scanning raster with a linear size of ±300 μm on the target and a minimal point-to-point switch time of 200 μs. The positioning time does not exceed 40 μs.

The consecutive microscopic solution is presented of the problem of tunneling of a particle through a potential barrier. The method is applied to the alpha and proton decay of compound systems formed in fusion reaction. Appearance of the peaks in the spectrum of emitted particles is predicted. The peaks correspond to quasistationary states inside the potential barrier.

The probe-forming system of a nuclear scanning microprobe based on the parametric multiplets of quadrupole lenses is optimized. The optimization is aimed at creating an ion probe with energy of several MeV that produces a micrometer spot on the target at a current of ∼100 pA. The influence of different geometric and physical parameters on the ion-optical properties of the probe-forming systems considered is determined. The optimization is carried out by varying the parameters specifying a given parametric multiplet, and its efficiency is found from a quality criterion that takes into account the beam current for given sizes of the spot and target. The beam parameters at the entrance to and at the exit from the ÉGP-10 electrostatic tandem accelerator (produced by the VNIIÉF) are involved in the optimizing calculations. These are the maximal energy, normalized brightness, transport conditions, and chromatic inhomogeneity of the beam (i.e., the energy straggling of beam particles). Allowance is also made for the parasitic components of the magnetic quadrupole lens field, which arise because of quadrupole symmetry breaking by technological and physical reasons.

The research results of an opportunity of radiation-stimulated diffusion use for laser fusion microtargets filling with heavy gases are given, which they can not be filled with by means of usual diffusion. The theoretical estimates of quantity and character of radiation damages, their distribution in the volume of an irradiated material are made. The calculations of glass microshells argon filling process in mode of vacancy and effusive mechanisms of wall permeability are carried out. The experiments on argon filling of glass microspheres are carried out by means of diffusion with irradiation of them with electrons, protons and neutrons. It is experimentally shown that the neutron irradiation of the glass microspheres placed in the chamber with argon in the reactor IBR-2 (JINR, Dubna) and their subsequent annealing has resulted in the argon penetration into microspheres.

At present nuclear power plants provide more than 15 per cent of world’s energy production. But some problems arise from this technology, and among the others problems is the nuclear waste products utilization. As a result of nuclear energy production process, both the new fissionable material is produced and accumulated in fuel material and fuel is enriched with highly active fission products. That fact poses a several environmental threat. One of known ways to neutralize highly active isotopes contained in nuclear spent fuel is a transmutation-based technology. The TENDL library presented is to provide recommended neutron-nuclei interaction characteristics for isotope set of interest in numerical transmutation computations. 103 isotopes including 6 effective fission fragments from the world libraries of evaluated constants are involved into the current version of TENDL library. The methods and criteria of data selection, the content of TENDL library are described in this report.