Exploring the fission barrier of U235

Abstract

In this work we have reexamined the shape isomer in $^{235}\mathrm{U}$. Reanalyzing data from a previous experiment gave a half-life of ${T}_{1/2}=(11\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}3)\phantom{\rule{4pt}{0ex}}\mathrm{ms}$ and a cross section for populating the isomer of ${\ensuremath{\sigma}}_{\mathrm{iso}}=(12\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}1)\phantom{\rule{4pt}{0ex}}\ensuremath{\mu}\mathrm{b}$. Combining these new results with measured properties of fission fragments from the reaction $^{234}\mathrm{U}(n,f)$ allowed extracting parameters describing the outer fission barrier. The deduced barrier parameters are ${E}_{B}=(5.7\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.6)$ MeV and $\ensuremath{\hbar}{\ensuremath{\omega}}_{B}=(0.5\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.1)$ MeV for the height and curvature, respectively, as well as the energy of the superdeformed ground state ${E}_{II}=(2.4\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.6)$ MeV. Separate barrier parameters for the standard-1 and standard-2 fission modes have been estimated, too. Finally, the results obtained in this work have been successfully tested for their plausibility.