On the light particles in ternary fission

Abstract

The even-Z light particles emitted in ternary fissions having the highest yield in their corresponding elements obey a rule in which their atomic mass Az is given by Az = Az−2 + 4 + 2δz/2,even, where A0 = 0. This rule represents the tendency of ternary light particles to be stable, on the one hand, and to have a high ratio of neutrons to protons, on the other. The odd-Z light particles also behave in a similar systematic way. The even-Z particles of ternary fission are also related to clusters emitted in cluster radioactivity. Of utmost importance is the fact that this systematic behavior of ternary particles may be used to predict the existence of new high-Z ternary particles, which have not yet been reported.