Bimodal fission in binary and ternary spontaneous fission of 252Cf

The hot bimodal fission of ²⁵²Cf is reexamined with new high-statistics data. We constructed a γ-γ-γ coincidence cube for binary fission and LCP-gated γ-γ matrix for ternary fission. By identifying the secondary fission fragments from their γ-ray transitions, we measured the yields for various fission splits. The normal neutron yield distribution is found to be Gaussian for Xe-Ru. However, the binary fission split of Ba-Mo is found to exhibit a bimodal neutron distribution with the “hot mode” corresponding to ≈3.1% of the total yield. In α ternary fission, the first measurements of yields for specific fission splits are presented. The Te-α-Ru and Xe-α-Mo neutron yields fit well with a single mode, but the Ba-α-Zr split shows evidence for an enhanced hot mode with an intensity of ≈13.8% of the normal mode. The text was submitted by the authors in English.     

New data on the ternary fission of 252Cf from the Gammasphere facility

Ternary fission of ²⁵²Cf was studied at Gammasphere using eight ΔE×E particle telescopes. Helium, beryllium, boron, and carbon light charged particles (LCPs) emitted with kinetic energy more than 9, 21, 26, and 32 MeV, respectively, were identified. The 3368-keV γ transition from the first 2⁺ excited state in ¹⁰Be was found and the population probability ratio N(2⁺)/N(0⁺) = 0.160 ± 0.025 was estimated. No evidence was found for 3368-keV γ rays emitted from a triple molecular state. For the first time, charge distributions are obtained for ternary fission fragments emitted with helium, beryllium, and carbon LCPs.     

Investigation of the fusion reaction27Al+236U→263105 at excitation energies of 57 MeV and 65 MeV

The neutron-deficient isotopes^257,258105 were produced in the reaction²⁷Al+²³⁶u in 6n and 5n evaporation channels, respectively. The evaporation residues emerging from the target were separated in-flight from the projectiles and from products of different nuclear reactions by the electrostatic separator VASSILISSA [1]. The isotopes were then implanted into position-sensitive silicon detectors and identified using the --correlation method. The measured production cross-section is (5n)=(0.45±0.20)nb atE _P =154 MeV and (6n)=(0.075±0.055) nb atE _P =163 MeV. These cross-sections are compared with data measured for the same isotopes in the more symmetrical reaction⁵⁰Ti+²⁰⁹Bi.     

Radioactive-Ion Beams for the Fission Study of Heavy Neutron-Rich Nuclei

Physics of Atomic Nuclei - Quasi-elastic, multi-nucleon transfer reactions induced by the radioactive-ion beams with energy 4–6 MeV/u allow one to produce moderately excited neutron-rich...     

Superheavy hydrogen (5)H

Experimental search for (5)H using a secondary beam of (6)He has been performed. The transfer reaction (1)H((6)He,(2)He)(5)H was studied by detecting two protons emitted from the decay of (2)He. A peak consistent with a (5)H resonance at 1.7+/-0.3 MeV above the n+n+t threshold was observed, with a width of 1.9+/-0.4 MeV. The angular distribution of the (1)H((6)He,(2)He)(5)H reaction was measured as well as the energy correlation of the two protons.     

Shifted identical bands: A new phenomenon

The levels in ¹⁶²Gd were identified in spontaneous fission studies. Its transition energies are remarkably similar to those in ¹⁶⁰Gd. From that work, an analysis of yrast bands in even-even proton to neutron-rich Ba to Pb nuclei led to the discovery of a new phenomenon, shifted identical bands (SIB). SIBs are yrast bands in neighboring nuclei (a, b) with moments of inertia which are identical when shifted by a constant amount κ, so J _1a (1+κ)=J _1b , from 2⁺ to 8⁺ and higher to 16⁺. Out of over 700 comparisons, 55 SIBs were found from stable to the most neutron-rich Ce-W nuclei with $\left| {\bar k} \right|$ between 1.5% and 13%, where the spread in κ is less than ±1%, and only four identical bands ( $\bar k \cong 0$ ). As examples, we found for ¹⁵⁸Sm-¹⁶⁰Gd, $\bar k = \left( { - 3.2_{ - 0.2}^{ + 0.1} } \right)\%$ (where the ± is the total spread in κ from ?3.1 to ?3.4); ¹⁵⁶Nd-¹⁶⁰Gd, (?10.6 _?0.2 ^+0.4 )%; ¹⁵⁸Sm-¹⁶⁰Sm, (3.4 _?0.3 ^+0.5 )%. The J ₁ values were fitted to a variable moment of inertia model with parameters J ₀ and C whose values correlate with the SIB J ₁ values. The SIBs are not correlated either with deformation or with the N _p N _n product of the IBA model.     

Resonance states of hydrogen nuclei 4H and 5H obtained in transfer reactions with exotic beams

To investigate ⁵H resonance states with a better instrumental resolution, we utilized the two-neutron transfer reaction ³H(t, p)⁵H accomplished with the use of a cryogenic liquid-tritium target and 57.5-MeV triton beam. As a result of this study, a valuable fraction of protons detected at ? _lab=18°–32° in ptn coincidence events was attributed to the states of the ⁵H nucleus. Two resonance states situated at 1.8±0.1 and 2.7±0.1 MeV above the t + n + n decay threshold were obtained in the missing mass energy spectrum of the ⁵H nucleus. The peak located close to E5_H was clearly seen in the ⁵H spectrum obtained from the energy distributions of ³H nuclei emitted in the reaction ²H(⁶He, ⁵H)³He at ? _lab=17°–32°. The width (Γ_obs≤0.5 MeV) obtained for the two ⁵H resonance states is surprisingly small. A state of ⁴H with E _res=3.3 MeV and γ ²=2.3 MeV was obtained in the reaction ²H(t, p)⁴H from the spectra of protons leaving the target at ? _lab=18°–32° and detected in coincidence with neutrons emitted in the decay of ⁴H nuclei.     

Cross sections of 102 element isotopes formation in the reactions of22Ne+236U and26Mg+232Th

The production cross sections of the isotopes²⁵²102,²⁵³102, and²⁵⁴102 were measured for the heavy ion fusion reactions of²²Ne+²³⁶U and²⁶Mg+²³²Th by using the kinematic separator VASSILISSA. The obtained excitation functions and the maximum production cross sections are compared with the ones for more asymmetric reactions leading to the same compound nucleus²⁵⁸102. The experimental cross sections and the results of statistical model calculations are compared and discussed.The authors express their gratitude to Prof. Yu. Ts. Oganessian for his great interest and support of this work, to Drs. E.A. Cherepanov, Yu.A. Muzychka and B.I. Pustylnik for the calculations and for the useful discussions.