The study of the (α, α′ f) reaction at 120 MeV on 232Th and 238U: (II). Fission barrier properties deduced from fission probabilities and angular distributions

The fission probabilities and angular distributions of the fission fragments for the (α, α'f) reaction on ²³²Th and ²³⁸U at a bombarding energy of 120 MeV have been measured from about 4 to 14 MeV excitation energy. Evidence for sub-barrier resonances has been found, the negativeparity ones occurring at the same excitation energy where photofission resonances have been observed. The data are analyzed with the two-humped barrier model. For ²³⁸U the data are reasonably well fitted with barriers similar to those known from the literature. For ²³²Th though, the outer barrier parameters are quite different: the height E_B = 6.6 MeV and the width (khω)_B = 1.2 MeV. Also for ²³²Th, introducing an additional mass symmetric and axially asymmetric outer barrier, as was previously found necessary for ²³⁸U, does not result in a good fit to the data at higher excitation energies.     

Fragment angular distributions from fission of238U,209Bi and197Au by 140-MeV4He Ions

The fission fragment angular distributions from reactions of 140-MeV⁴He ions with²³⁸U,²⁰⁹Bi and¹⁹⁷Au have been studied. From the anisotropies in the angular distributions, values for? _eff, the effective moment of inertia at the fission saddle point, have been estimated and compared with results obtained at lower bombarding energies. The derivation of? _eff values has included corrections for the effects of incomplete fusion mechanisms on the orbital angular momentum distribution of the fissioning nuclei and for neutron evaporation prior to fission. The results are also compared with heavy-ion-induced fission data for systems of similar fissility. Also, examination of the forward-backward symmetry of the²³⁸U angular distribution substantiates other results which show that the fraction of fission reactions which follow complete fusion of the target and projectile is less than 0.5 for 140-MeV⁴He-ion bombardment of²³⁸U.     

Electrofission of238U and232Th

Absolute electrofission cross sections for²³⁸U and²³²Th in the energy regionE _e =7 ?65 MeV and fission fragment angular distributions forE _e =7–30 MeV have been measured. The angular distributions show strong anisotropies for low energies. The relative dipole and quadrupole contributions as a function of excitation energy are discussed in terms of the low lying fission transition states above the fission barriers. The cross sections show significant deviations from the results of some earlier measurements, in particular in the energy region above the giant dipole resonance. From the difficulties of absolute electrofission cross section measurements and the ambiguities in their interpretation it is concluded that by this time the quantitative analysis of electrofission cross sections with respect to the contributions of the giant quadrupole resonances to the fission decay channel should be regarded as rather tentative.     

Fragment angular distributions in electron-induced fission of 232Th

Fission fragment angular distributions have been observed in electron-induced fission of ²³²Th for electron energies 8.7 MeV ≦ E_e ≦ 30 MeV. For low energies (though above the fission threshold) the angular distributions contain both a dipole and a quadrupole component. The (90°/0°) anisotropy decreases rapidly for higher electron energies but reveals smaller peaks after the onset of second-, third- and fourth-chance fission suggesting that the effective fission barriers for ²³¹Th and ²²⁹Th in second- and fourth-chance fission, respectively, are both characterized by $\text{K =}\text{1}\text{2}$.     

Symmetric and asymmetric yields in the photofission of232Th,235U,238U and239Pu

Measurements are presented for the mass and energy distributions of fragments from the photofission of²³²Th,²³⁵U,²³⁸U and²³⁹Pu. The experiments were performed for bremsstrahlung endpoint energies between 15 and 55 MeV, using silicon surface barrier detectors. The results are discussed with respect to the competition between the symmetric and asymmetric fission modes.     

Subbarrier Complete Fusion-Fission Reactions of 16)O+232Th

We have succeeded in isolating the complete arising from complete fusion-fission in terms of the fragment folding angle technique,and measured complete fusion-fission cross sections and fragment angular distributions for the ¹⁶O+²³²Th system in the center-of-mass energies between 72.61 and 80.11 MeV.The observed fission excitation function is in quite good agreement with the expectation of the coupled-channels theory.However,the measured fragment angular distributions are more anisotropic than the predictions of both the saddle-point transition-state model and scission model.     

Dynamical model of fission fragment angular distributions

A dynamical model of fission fragment angular distributions is developed. The experimental data on the angular anisotropy of fission fragments is analyzed for the ¹⁶O + ²⁰⁸Pb, ²³²Th, ²³⁸U, and ²⁴⁸Cm reactions at energies of the incident ¹⁶O ions ranging from 90 to 160 MeV. This analysis allows us to extract the relaxation time for the tilting mode. It was also demonstrated that the angular distributions are sensitive to the deformation dependence of the nuclear friction.

     

Combined dynamical and statistical approach to describing induced fission of heavy nuclei

A combined dynamical and statistical approach to describing induced fission of heavy nuclei is proposed. This approach takes into account the nuclear-dissipation phenomenon and the double-humped structure of the fission barrier. A method that is intended for calculating the angular distribution of fission fragments and which is applicable over a broad range of excitation energies is discussed. The potential of the approach is demonstrated by addressing the problems of self-consistently describing experimental data on fission probabilities for plutonium and americium isotopes, the yields of shape isomers in the α+²³⁸U reaction at alpha-particle energies in the range E _α = 20–32 MeV and the d+^242,240Pu reactions at deuteron energies in the range E _d = 20–30 MeV, fission times in the α + ²³⁸U reaction at alpha-particle energies in the range E _α = 20–32 MeV, and angular distributions of fission fragments in the α + ²³⁸U, ²³⁷Np reactions at alpha-particle energies in the range E _α = 20–100 MeV.     

Effect of entrance channel parameters on fission fragment angular momentum in medium energy fission

Independent isomeric yield ratios of¹³²I were radiochemically determined in alpha particle induced fission of²³⁸U in the energy range 25–44 MeV. Fission fragment angular momenta were deduced from the measured isomeric yield ratios using spin dependent statistical model analysis. It was seen that angular momentum of¹³²I increases with increase of excitation energy and angular momentum of the fissioning nucleus. Comparison of the present data on¹³²I in²³⁸U(α,f) with the literature data for the same product in²³⁸U(p, f) and²³⁸U(γ, f) at various excitation energies show that fragment angular momentum strongly depends on the input angular momentum in the range of excitation energy considered. Experimental fragment angular momentum at all excitation energies were seen to be in agreement with the theoretical values calculated based on thermal equilibration of the various collective rotational degrees after considering the occurence of multichance fission. Thus, strong effect of input angular momentum as well as the statistical equilibration among the various collective rotational degrees of freedom in medium energy fission is corroborated.     

Influence of collective rotational degrees of freedom in medium energy fission

In the present work rms angular momenta have been deduced for the fission fragments corresponding to¹³¹Te^m,g and¹³³Te^m,g in²³²Th(α _{40 MeV},f) and²³⁸U(α _{40 MeV},f) systems from the radiochemically determined independent isomeric yield ratios and statistical model based analysis. For¹³¹Te and¹³³Te the rms angular momenta deduced are 5.9±1.0 and 7.9±1.2 ? respectively in²³²Th(α _{40 MeV},f) and 7.2±0.6 and 8.0±0.8 ? respectively in²³⁸U(α ₄₀ MeV,f). Comparison of the present data with the literature data for these fragments in the same compound nuclei²³⁶U^* and²⁴²Pu^* at lower excitation energies shows increase in the fragment angular momentum with increasing excitation energy and angular momenta of the fissioning nuclei. Fragment angular momentum deduced theoretically for asymmetric and deformed fragments on the basis of thermal equilibration of the collective rotational degrees e.g., rigid rotation, wriggling, tilting, bending and twisting modes considering the effect of multichance fission, are in good agreement with the experimental observations.     

垒下16O+232Th裂变碎片角关联模拟

使用Monte-Carlo模拟计算了垒下¹⁶O+²³²Th系统转移裂变和复合核裂变碎片角分布及角关联.转移过程、熔合过程和裂变过程分别用半经典模型、耦合道模型及鞍点过渡态统计模型进行模拟.考虑了各物理量分布产生的运动学效应及裂前中子发射和裂后碎片粒子蒸发对碎片角分布及角关联的影响.模拟结果和实验测量的分布相一致.使用折叠角技术借助Monte-Carlo模拟区分转移裂变和复合核裂变是可能的.考虑了转移裂变和裂前中子发射的影响,复合核裂变碎片角分布各向异性异常仍然存在.     

Measurement of fast neutron induced fission cross section of thorium using Lexan plastic track detector

Fission-track registration characteristics of Lexan solid state nuclear track detectors have been used to measure the fast neutron induced fission cross section of²³²Th. The fast neutrons (?14.2MeV) were produced with the help of an AN-400 model Van-de-Graaff accelerator at Banaras Hindu University laboratory using³H(²H,n)⁴He reaction and were used to irradiate the fissile target deposited on the plastic detector. The track densityT, registered on the plastic detector is related to the fission cross sectionσ _f, through the relationT=knσ _føt wheren is the number of fissile atoms per cm² in the deposit, ø is the neutron flux,k is fission track registration efficiency andt is the time of irradiation. The fission cross sectionσ _f of²³²Th, relative to the well measured fission cross section of²³⁸U, was found to be 0.36±0.04 barn.     

Subthreshold photofission of even-even nuclei

Within quantum-mechanical fission theory, the angular distributions of fragments originating from the subthreshold photofission of the even-even nuclei ²³²Th, ²³⁴U, ²³⁶U, ²³⁸U, ²³⁸Pu, ²⁴⁰Pu, and ²⁴²Pu are analyzed for photon energies below 7 MeV. Special features of various fission channels are assessed under the assumption that the fission barrier has a two-humped shape. It is shown that the maximum value of the relative orbital angular momentum L _m of fission fragments can be found upon taking into account deviations from the predictions of A. Bohr’s formula for the angular distributions of fission fragments. The result is L _m ≈ 30. The existence of an “isomeric shelf” for the angular distributions of fragments from ²³⁶U and ²³⁸U photofission in the low-energy region is confirmed.     

Angular distributions of fragments in the fission of thorium induced by neutrons in the range 12–18 MeV

The angular distributions of fragments from neutron-induced fission of ²³²Th have been measured by means of glass detectors in the range 12.2 MeV ≦ E_n ≦ 18.3 MeV. The behaviour of the angular anisotropy is analysed and the contribution of the (n, 2n′f) process is discussed.     

Two mode fission: Existence of two independent paths in the fission of actinide elements

We attempted to confirm the existence of two-mode-fission mechanism in the²³²Th and²³⁸U plus⁴He systems. Angular distributions and differential ranges of the fission fragments were measured for both systems. Two distinct groups, symmetric and asymmetric, were observed in the anisotropy of the fragments obtained from the angular distributions in either systems. Kinetic energies of the fragments were deduced from the measured ranges and the effective distances were calculated from the data. The distribution of the resulting distances was classified into two groups also, indicating the existence of the symmetric and asymmetric modes. This strongly suggests existence of two independent paths in the fission process.Communicated by: P. Armbruster     

Photonuclear reactions of actinides in the giant dipole resonance region

Photonuclear reactions at energies covering the giant dipole resonance (GDR) region are analyzed with an approach based on nuclear photoabsorption followed by the process of competition between light-particle evaporation and fission for the excited nucleus. The photoabsorption cross-section at energies covering the GDR region is contributed by both the Lorentz-type GDR cross-section and the quasi-deuteron cross-section. The evaporation-fission process of the compound nucleus is simulated in a Monte Carlo framework. Photofission reaction cross-sections are analyzed in a systematic manner in the energy range of ∼ 10-20 MeV for the actinides ²³²Th , ²³⁸U and ²³⁷Np . Photonuclear cross-sections for the medium-mass nuclei ⁶³Cu and ⁶⁴Zn , for which there are no fission events, are also presented. The study reproduces satisfactorily the available experimental data of photofission cross-sections at GDR energy region and the increasing trend of nuclear fissility with the fissility parameter Z ²/A for the actinides.     

Studies of mass and energy correlations in thermal neutron fission of U-235 accompanied by long range alpha particles

Several characteristics of fission accompanied by long range alpha particles (LRA) have been studied in the thermal neutron induced fission of²³⁵U. The kinetic energies of fission fragments and the LRA were measured with a back-to-back ionization chamber and semiconductor detectors respectively. The kinetic energies of the two fragments and the LRA in LRA fission, along with the energies of pair fragments in the normal binary fissions, were recorded event by event on a magnetic tape by means of a four-parameter data acquisition system. The data were analysed to study the dependence of different quantities in LRA fission on the fragment mass ratio, LRA energy and the total kinetic energy of the fission fragments. It is seen that the most probable energy of LRA increases significantly for near symmetric mass divisions. The total kinetic energy for all mass ratios in LRA fission is found to be (2.6±0.7) MeV larger than that in binary fission. The difference in the total kinetic energies in LRA and binary fissions is seen to be dependent on mass ratio. This result may suggest that the scission configuration in LRA fission is different for different mass ratios. Correlations between the fission fragment and LRA energies have been studied for several mass ratios. It is seen that the most probable fragment kinetic energyĒ _k varies nearly linearly with the LRA energyE _a for various mass divisions but the variation of the most probable LRA energyĒ _a with fragment kinetic energyE _k is found to deviate from linearity for several mass ratios. From a least square fit to the variation ofĒ _k withE _a it is found that the slope (dĒ _k/dE_a) increases with the increase in mass ratio. The present results are discussed to arrive at a better understanding of the scission configuration in the fission accompanied by LRA emission.     

16O+232Th垒下全熔合裂变

利用裂变碎片的折叠角分布,从实验上实现了全熔合裂变和转移跟随裂变两种成份的区分.在此基础上测量了质心系能量72.61至80.11MeV ¹⁶O+²³²Th全熔合裂变截面和碎片角分布.包含靶核静态形变效应的耦合道模型计算与实验激发曲线一致.然而,裂变统计理论无法解释实验上观察到的全熔合裂变碎片角分布.而鞍点模型与断点模型的理论预言有较明显的差别.     

Correlation between fractional independent yields and neutron-to-proton ratio of fission products in low energy fission

Fractional independent yields of fission products in the thermal neutron-induced fission of²³³U,²³⁵U,²³⁹Pu,²⁴¹Pu and in the spontaneous fission of²⁵²Cf have been correlated with the neutron-to-proton ratio of the fission products. The yields of the products from a fissioning system, when plotted as a function of neutron-to-proton (N/Z) ratio of fission preducts, fall on two Gaussian distribution corresponding to light and heavy fission products. The centroids of the distribution or the most probable value of neutron-to-proton ratio is found to be very close to theN/Z of the fissioning nucleus. From the most probable value ofN/Z the various parameters of charge distribution e.g. most probable massA _p, most probable chargeZ _p, the mass dispersionσ _Aand the charge dispersionσ _Zhave been obtained and are in good agreement with the experimental values ofA _pandZ _p.