Evidence for a New Compact Symmetric Fission Mode in Light Thorium Isotopes
Journal article, 2020

Taking benefit of the R3B/SOFIA setup to measure the mass and the nuclear charge of both fission fragments in coincidence with the total prompt-neutron multiplicity, the scission configurations are inferred along the thorium chain, from the asymmetric fission in the heavier isotopes to the symmetric fission in the neutron-deficient thorium. Against all expectations, the symmetric scission in the light thorium isotopes shows a compact configuration, which is in total contrast to what is known in the fission of the heavier thorium isotopes and heavier actinides. This new main symmetric scission mode is characterized by a significant drop in deformation energy of the fission fragments of about 19 MeV, compared to the well-known symmetric scission in the uranium-plutonium region.

Author

A. Chatillon

University Paris-Saclay

The French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA)

J. Taieb

University Paris-Saclay

The French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA)

H. Alvarez-Pol

Universidade de Santiagode Compostela

L. Audouin

Institut de Physique Nucleaire Orsay

Y. Ayyad

Universidade de Santiagode Compostela

G. Belier

The French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA)

University Paris-Saclay

J. Benlliure

Universidade de Santiagode Compostela

G. Boutoux

The French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA)

M. Caamano

Universidade de Santiagode Compostela

E. Casarejos

University of Vigo

D. Cortina-Gil

Universidade de Santiagode Compostela

A. Ebran

University Paris-Saclay

The French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA)

F. Farget

Grand Accélérateur National d'Ions Lourds (GANIL)

B. Fernandez-Dominguez

Universidade de Santiagode Compostela

T. Gorbinet

The French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA)

L. Grente

The French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA)

Andreas Martin Heinz

Chalmers, Physics, Subatomic, High Energy and Plasma Physics

Håkan T Johansson

Chalmers, Physics, Subatomic, High Energy and Plasma Physics

B. Jurado

Centre d'Etudes Nucleaires de Bordeaux Gradignan

A. Kelic-Heil

Helmholtz

N. Kurz

Helmholtz

B. Laurent

The French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA)

University Paris-Saclay

J. F. Martin

The French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA)

C. Nociforo

Helmholtz

C. Paradela

Universidade de Santiagode Compostela

E. Pellereau

The French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA)

S. Pietri

Helmholtz

A. Prochazka

Helmholtz

J. L. Rodriguez-Sanchez

Universidade de Santiagode Compostela

D. Rossi

Helmholtz

H. Simon

Helmholtz

L. Tassan-Got

Institut de Physique Nucleaire Orsay

J. Vargas

Universidade de Santiagode Compostela

B. Voss

Helmholtz

H. Weick

Helmholtz

Physical Review Letters

0031-9007 (ISSN) 1079-7114 (eISSN)

Vol. 124 20 202502

Subject Categories

Accelerator Physics and Instrumentation

Subatomic Physics

Other Physics Topics

DOI

10.1103/PhysRevLett.124.202502

More information

Latest update

9/15/2020