Relation of Experimental Features of P-Even, T-Odd Asymmetries in Ternary Nuclear Fission Induced by Cold Polarized Neutrons to Triple and Quintuple Scalar Correlations

Abstract

In employing the concept of the isotropy of space, the coefficients D of P-even, T-odd asymmetry in the angular distributions of prescission alpha particles emitted as third particles in the ternary fission of nonoriented target nuclei that is induced by polarized cold neutrons are expressed in the lowest orders of perturbation theory in the neutron polarization vector in terms of two P-even scalar coefficients D3 and D5 associated with, respectively, triple and quintuple correlations depending on the unit vectors kα, kLF, and σn, which determine the features of the coefficients being studied. On the basis of the above representation, the experimental values of the coefficients D3 and D5 are determined by using the experimental values of D and the angular distributions of alpha particles emitted in the analogous reaction induced by unpolarized neutrons. The resulting coefficients D3 and D5 are compared with the analogous coefficients found by means of the classical method of trajectory calculations and by means of quantum-mechanical fission theory relying on the concept that it is the rotational mechanism that is responsible for the appearance of the asymmetries being studied. It turns out that the classical method, which disregards the interference between fission amplitudes for different S-wave neutron resonances, leads to an irremovable contradiction between the calculated coefficient D3 and the analogous experimental coefficient for the 233U target nucleus. In the case of employing the quantum-mechanical approach, it is concluded that three-body calculations of the Coriolis interaction—perturbed amplitude of the angular distributions of alpha particles moving in the Coulomb fields of fission fragments are required for the 233U target nucleus.