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Resonant inelastic x-ray spectroscopy (RIXS) on UO<sub>2</sub> - a test case for actinide materials

ORAL

Abstract

A successful soft x-ray resonant inelastic x-ray spectroscopy (RIXS) experiment of UO2 at the U N4 absorption edge (778 eV) will be presented [1]. The RIXS spectra exhibit well resolved excitations due to the crystal-field splitting of the U4+ 5f 2 J=4 (3H4) Hund's rule ground state, and they show the first excited multiplet (3F2) at 550 meV. In RIXS the 3H4→3F2 transition has a strong cross-section due to the beyond dipole features of the RIXS process which is in strong contrast to the dipole cross-section of inelastic neutron scattering. Hence, the present experiment settles the discussion about the U4+ multiplet splitting in UO2. The data are simulated with a full multiplet RIXS calculation, taking into account the RIXS cross-section.

[1] G. H. Lander et al., tbp

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Presenters

  • Martin Sundermann

    Max Planck Institute for Chemical Physics of Solids, Institute of Physics II, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany

Authors

  • Martin Sundermann

    Max Planck Institute for Chemical Physics of Solids, Institute of Physics II, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany

  • Gerard H Lander

    European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC)

  • Ross Springell

    Interface Analysis Centre, University of Bristol

  • Andrew Walters

    Diamond Light Source, Brookhaven National Laboratory

  • Abhishek Nag

    Diamond Light Source, Diamond Light Source, UK

  • Mirian Garcia-Fernnandez

    Diamond Light Source, Diamond Light Source, UK, Diamond Light Source, Harwell Science & Innovation Campus

  • Ke-jin Zhou

    Diamond Light Source, Diamond Light Source, UK, Diamond Light Source, Harwell Science & Innovation Campus

  • Gerrit Van der Laan

    Diamond Light Source, Diamond Light Source Ltd

  • Roberto G. M. Caciuffo

    European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC), DG Joint Research Centre, Directorate G-Nuclear Safety and Security, Karlsruhe, Germany