Theory of nuclear fission by stopped pions

Nuclear fission by stopped pions is analyzed in a two-step model in which the pion is absorbed on a nucleon pair, followed by the prompt emission of one nucleon and compound nucleus formation by the other. This simple picture yields agreement with observed prompt neutron spectra and average nucleon multiplicities. The analysis of nuclear fission in a statistical framework is shown to provide valuable corroboration of the expected properties of a highly excited compound nucleus and of our understanding of the pion absorption mechanism. The ratio of fission to neutron level density parameters is shown to exceed unity in all cases studied.