Nuclear multifragmentation: Basic concepts

We present a brief overview of nuclear multifragmentation reaction. Basic formalism of canonical thermodynamical model based on equilibrium statistical mechanics is described. This model is used to calculate basic observables of nuclear multifragmentation like mass distribution, fragment multiplicity, isotopic distribution and isoscaling. Extension of canonical thermodynamical model to a projectile fragmentation model is outlined. Application of the projectile fragmentation model for calculating average number of intermediate mass fragments and the average size of the largest cluster at different Z _bound, differential charge distribution and cross-section of neutron-rich nuclei of different projectile fragmentation reactions at different energies are described. Application of nuclear multifragmentation reaction in basic research as well as in other domains is outlined.     

Nuclear multifragmentation and phase transition for hot nuclei

This review article is focused on the tremendous progress realized during the last fifteen years in the understanding of multifragmentation and its relationship to the liquid-gas phase diagram of nuclei and nuclear matter. The explosion of the whole nucleus, early predicted by Bohr [N. Bohr, Nature 137 (1936) 351], is a very complex and rich subject which continues to fascinate nuclear physicists as well as theoreticians who extend the thermodynamics of phase transitions to finite systems.     

Nuclear multifragmentation and phase transitions in hot nuclei

Nuclear multifragmentation is a new, multibody, decay mode of very hot nuclei. The key properties of this process that were measured are considered, such as the space-time and temperature characteristics. The experimental data for the critical temperature of the nuclear liquid-gas-phase transition are analyzed. Thermal multifragmentation is interpreted as a result of spinodal decomposition, which is actually the specific nuclear liquid-fog-phase transition of the first order. The text was submitted by the author in English.     

邮票上的物理学史（49）——核裂变

发现核裂变的故事应当接着发现中子往下讲 .在发现中子之前 ,用得最多的轰击原子核的炮弹是α粒子 .例如 ,历史上的第一个人工核蜕变就是卢瑟福用钋源发出的α射线轰击氮核 ,把它嬗变成氧原子 .约里奥-居里夫妇用钋源α射线轰击各种原子核 ,轰击铍发现了中子 ,轰击铝发现了人工放射性 ,但对Ｚ >2 0的原子核 ,α粒子轰击却不能引起核反应 .这是因为 ,原子核的正电荷的推斥力使α粒子不能进入原子核 .发现中子后 ,1 93 4年 ,意大利物理学家费米 (邮票见下节 )和他的研究集体试着用中子而不是α粒子来轰击原子核以产生人工放射现象 .费米认为 ,…     

Nuclear multifragmentation, its relation to general physics

Heat can flow from cold to hot at any phase separation even in macroscopic systems. Therefore also Lynden-Bell's famous gravo-thermal catastrophe must be reconsidered. In contrast to traditional canonical Boltzmann-Gibbs statistics this is correctly described only by microcanonical statistics. Systems studied in chemical thermodynamics (ChTh) by using canonical statistics consist of several homogeneous macroscopic phases. Evidently, macroscopic statistics as in chemistry cannot and should not be applied to non-extensive or inhomogeneous systems like nuclei or galaxies. Nuclei are small and inhomogeneous. Multifragmented nuclei are even more inhomogeneous and the fragments even smaller. Phase transitions of first order and especially phase separations therefore cannot be described by a (homogeneous) canonical ensemble. Taking this serious, fascinating perspectives open for statistical nuclear fragmentation as test ground for the basic principles of statistical mechanics, especially of phase transitions, without the use of the thermodynamic limit. Moreover, there is also a lot of similarity between the accessible phase space of fragmenting nuclei and inhomogeneous multistellar systems. This underlines the fundamental significance for statistical physics in general.     

Critical temperature for the nuclear liquid-gas phase transition (from multifragmentation and fission)

Critical temperature T _c for the nuclear liquid-gas phase transition is estimated from both the multifragmentation and fission data. In the first case, the critical temperature is obtained by analysis of the intermediate-mass-fragment yields in p(8.1 GeV) + Au collisions within the statistical model of multifragmentation. In the second case, the experimental fission probability for excited ¹⁸⁸Os is compared with the calculated one with T _c as a free parameter. It is concluded for both cases that the critical temperature is higher than 15 MeV. The text was submitted by the authors in English.     

Nuclear dissipation,fission probability and neutron multiplicity prior to fission

We discuss the effects of nuclear dissipation on fission probabilities that are characteristic of a diffusion model of the fission process. Reproducing the experimental fission probabilities at low excitation energies fixes the ratioa _f/a_n of the level density parameters for a given strength of the reduced dissipation coefficientβ. These low energy constraints ona _f/a_n andβ balance the effects of transients on neutron multiplicities prior to fission at higher excitation energies. For the competitive decay of¹⁵⁸Er formed in the reaction¹⁶O+¹⁴²Nd at 207 MeV we show that dueto transients only the multiplicity of pre-fission neutrons is enhanced with respect to the prediction of the statistical model in a manner consistent with our earlier general analysis.     

Nuclear fission with inertial confinement

The possibility of inducing an explosive fission reaction in a small amount of fissionable material by a heavy-ion beam from a high-power accelerator driver developed for bringing about fusion in deuterium-tritium cylindrical targets with direct burning is analyzed. The consequences of the use of this method in the nuclear power industry are discussed.     

Nuclear molecules in ternary fission

Experimental results on particle accompanied cold fission of ²⁵²Cf suggest the existence of a short-lived quasi-molecular state. Within our three-center phenomenological model, described in this paper, we found a possible explanation based on a new minimum in the deformation energy at a separation distance very close to the touching point. Half-lives of some quasimolecular states which could be formed in ¹⁰Be accompanied fission of ²³⁶U, ²³⁶Pu, ²⁴⁶Cm, ²⁵²Cf, ^252,256Fm, ^256,260No, and ²⁶²Rf are roughly estimated.     

Nuclear fission of Ra and Th isotopes

The fission modes and the corresponding nuclear shapes of Ra and Th isotopes are considered. It is shown that the fission of ²¹⁶Ra is expected to be predominantly symmetric, in accordance with recent experimental findings.     

Nuclear multifragmentation, percolation, and the fisher droplet model: common features of reducibility and thermal scaling

It is shown that the Fisher droplet model, percolation, and nuclear multifragmentation share the common features of reducibility (stochasticity in multiplicity distributions) and thermal scaling (one-fragment production probabilities are Boltzmann factors). Barriers obtained, for cluster production on percolation lattices, from the Boltzmann factors show a power-law dependence on cluster size with an exponent of 0.42+/-0.02. The EOS Collaboration Au multifragmentation data yield barriers with a power-law exponent of 0.68+/-0.03. Values of the surface energy coefficient of a low density nuclear system are also extracted.     

Nuclear cluster structure: Superheavies, cluster-radioactivity and exotic fission processes

The extension of the periodic system into various new areas is investigated. Experiments for the synthesis of superheavy elements and the predictions of magic numbers are reviewed. Different channels of nuclear decay are discussed like cluster radioactivity, cold fission and cold multifragmentation, including the recent discovery of the tripple fission of ²⁵²Cf.     

Nuclear charge radii of molybdenum fission fragments

Radioisotopes of molybdenum have been studied using laser spectroscopy techniques at the IGISOL facility, University of Jyväskylä. Differences in nuclear charge radii have been determined for neutron deficient isotopes ^90,91Mo and neutron rich isotopes ^{102–106,108}Mo (and all stable isotopes). A smooth transition in the mean square charge radii is observed as the neutron number increases with no sudden shape change observed in the region around N=60$N=60$. As N   increases, the nuclear deformation appears to go beyond a maximum and a fall off at N=66$N=66$ is observed. The magnetic moments of the odd isotopes ^91,103,105Mo are also determined.     

Nuclear fission phenomenon—At a glance

This article gives an overview of the physics of the fission phenomenon. It provides a brief introduction to the various aspects of the fission process such as liquid drop model fission barriers, different stages of the fission process, fragment kinetic energy and mass distributions, nuclear shell effects on fission barriers, fragment angular distributions and rare fission modes.     

Nuclear excitation and prompt fission in muonic238U

A study of muonic²³⁸U has been performed in a combined (μ ^?,γ f) and (μ ^?,γγ) coincidence experiment to investigate the role of non-radiative transitions and their fission probabilities. An augmentation of the outer fission barrier ofΔE _b =(0.6±0.1) MeV due to the presence of the muon is deduced. A significant contribution to the prompt fission yield not only results from the (2p→1s) and (3d→1s) non-radiative transitions, but also from other radiationless transitions. Specifically, the measured fission probabilities of the transitions (2p→1s), (3d→1s), and (3p→1s) are (1.5±0.4)%, (5.7±1.7)%, and (5.3±1.9)%, respectively.     

Nuclear charge distribution of heavy fission fragments from thermal-neutron-induced fission of235U

Fragments from thermal-neutron induced fission of²³⁵U have been separated by a mass spectrometer with respect to their masses and kinetic energies within 1 μsec. The separation principles are briefly described. For masses 130 to 139 amu the charge distributions have been determined by counting the number of beta tracks emitted from the individual mass selected fission fragments in a nuclear photographic emulsion. In another method, the average number of beta particles for each fragment mass is determined by use of a 4π-proportional counter. The mean nuclear charge as a function of mass is compared with other experimental results and theoretical curves. Contradictory to the radiochemical results, this experiment yields a dip in the mean nuclear charge versus mass curve at mass 132 amu corresponding to the doubly magic nucleus (N=82,Z=50)¹³²Sn. Recent theoretical calculations of Nörenberg are in agreement with this finding.     

Nuclear spin-orbit interaction and T-odd angular correlations in ternary fission

T-odd angular correlations in ternary fission of ²³³U and ²³⁵U nuclei by slow polarized neutrons are not related to TRI (time reversal invariance) violation, but are caused by an effective spin-orbit interaction in the final state.