Ternary Fission Of Nuclei Research Articles

On the Possibility of Semiclassical Description of Angular Asymmetries in the Polarized-Neutron-Induced Ternary Fission of Nuclei

The possibility of semiclassical description of ROT and TRI effects in the asymmetry of the angular distribution of products originating from the ternary fission of nuclei that is induced by polarized cold neutrons is considered. It is shown that, in the semiclassical approximation, respective experimental results can be explained qualitatively by taking into account Coriolis effects in the emission of a light third particle from a rotating nucleus that undergoes fission.

Role of dynamical effects in the formation of T-Odd asymmetries for products of polarized-neutron-induced ternary fission of nuclei

Basic dynamical effects that accompany the cold-polarized-neutron-induced binary and ternary fission of actinide nuclei and which determine the properties of T -odd asymmetries in angular distributions of various prescission and evaporated light third particles emitted in true and delayed ternary fission are analyzed on the basis of quantum-mechanical fission theory. It is emphasized that effects associated with the conservation of axial symmetry of the fissioning system under study at all stages of its evolution from the formation of neutron resonance states of the fissile compound nucleus to the separation of its fission fragments, including the appearance of zero wriggling vibrations of the cold compound nucleus in the vicinity of its scission point, are of particular importance, the influence of quantum collective rotation of the polarized fissile system on the asymmetry of the angular distribution of both fission fragments and third particles being taken into account. It is shown that the difference in the behavior of the coefficients characterizing the T -odd asymmetries under analysis for the target nuclei being studied can be explained, upon taking into account the interference between the fission amplitudes for the neutron resonance states of fissile compound nuclei, by the difference in the contributions of even and odd components of the amplitudes of angular distributions of third particles to the coefficients in question.

Role of wriggling vibrations of fissile nuclei in the formation of angular and spin distributions of neutrons and gamma-quanta emitted by fission fragments

Possible orientations of the compound fissile nuclei associated with the polarization and alignment of these nuclei for the spontaneous and low-energy induced binary and ternary fission of nuclei by cold neutrons and their effect on the emergence of anisotropies and different kinds of asymmetry in the angular distributions of fission fragments and light prescission and evaporated third particles are considered. On the basis of quantum fission theory, the determining role of wriggling vibrations of the compound fissile nucleus in the vicinity of the point of its scission into fission fragments in the formation of the angular and spin distributions of evaporated neutrons and gamma quanta emitted by these fission fragments is demonstrated. It is shown that the wriggling vibrations resulting in high values of fission fragments spins are responsible for the retention in the spin tensors of these fragments of only the even-order orientations determining the alignment of these fragments and lead to anisotropy in the angular distributions of evaporated neutrons and gamma quanta. It is demonstrated that even with appreciable polarization of a compound nucleus having the low spin values associated with the presence of odd values of orientation orders, allowing for wriggling vibrations leads only to low polarization values of fission fragments and thus to low values of the polarization of evaporated neutrons and the circular polarization of evaporated gamma-quanta.

Ternary fission of nuclei into comparable fragments

The problem of nuclear fission into three comparable fragments is considered. A mechanism of true ternary fission is proposed. In contrast to sequential fission, where the three fragments arise upon two sequential events of binary fission, the mechanism in question relies on a scenario that originally involves fission into three fragments. This mechanism is driven by a hexadecapole deformation of the fissioning nucleus, in contrast to binary fission associated with quadrupole vibrations of the nuclear surface. The fragment-mass ratios are estimated. The dynamics of formation of collinear fragments and their subsequent motion in opposite directions is traced. The calculated probability of true ternary fission complies with observed values.

True ternary fission

The study of the ternary fission of nuclei has received new interest recently. It is of general interest for nuclear dynamics, although the process is very rare. In the present work, we discuss the possibilities of true ternary fission (fragment masses $Ag30$) in $^{252}\mathrm{Cf}$ for different mass splits. These mass splits are strongly favored in a collinear geometry. Based on the three cluster model (TCM), it is shown that the true ternary fission into fragments with almost equal masses is one of the possible fission modes in $^{252}\mathrm{Cf}$. For general decays it is shown that the formation of the lightest fragment at the center has the highest probability. Further the formation of tin isotopes and/or other closed shell fragments are favored. For the decay products the presence of closed shell nuclei among the three fragments enhances the decay probabilities.

P-odd, P-even, and T-odd asymmetries in true quaternary fission of nuclei

The coefficients of P-odd, P-even, and T -odd asymmetries for a third and a fourth prescission particle emitted in the true quaternary fission of nuclei that was induced by polarized cold neutrons were studied on the basis of quantum-mechanical fission theory. By using non-evaporation (nonadiabatic) mechanisms of light-particle emission, these coefficients were compared with the analogous coefficients for prescission third particles emitted in the ternary fission of nuclei.

Interference of fission amplitudes of neutron resonances and T-odd asymmetry for various prescission third particles in the ternary fission of nuclei

Differential cross sections for reactions of the true ternary fission of nuclei that was induced by cold polarized neutrons were constructed with allowance of the effect that Coriolis interaction and the interference between fission amplitudes of neutron resonances excited in fissile nuclei upon incidentneutron capture by target nuclei exerted on angular distributions of prescission third particles (alpha particles, neutrons, or photons). It is shown that T -odd TRI- and ROT-type asymmetries for prescission alpha particles are associated with, respectively, the odd and even components of the Coriolis interaction-perturbed amplitude of angular distributions of particles belonging to the types indicated above. These asymmetries have angular distributions differing from each other and stemming from a nontrivial dependence of these components on the neutron-resonance spins J s and their projections K s onto the symmetry axis of the nucleus involved. It is shown that angular distributions of prescission photons and neutrons from reactions of the ternary fission of nuclei that is induced by cold polarized neutrons are determined by the effect of Coriolis forces exclusively. Therefore, the emerging T-odd asymmetries have a character of a ROT-type asymmetry and are universal for all target nuclei.

Describing T-odd asymmetries for α-particles in the ternary fission of actinide nuclei

A version of a unified quantum-mechanical description of the nature of T-odd TRI and ROT asymmetries due to the effect of the collective rotation of a polarized nucleus splitting into even and odd components of the angular distribution amplitude of prescission α particles emitted in the ternary fission of nuclei by cold polarized neutrons is considered. Reasonable agreement between the angular dependences of the calculated and experimental coefficients of T-odd asymmetry for 235U and 239Pu nuclei is demonstrated, allowing for the interference of the fission amplitudes of neutron resonances excited in the fissile nucleus during the trapping of an incident neutron by a target nucleus. Consideration of the rather high experimental error in detecting the emission angle of light fission fragments is shown to improve the agreement between the calculated and experimental coefficients of T-odd asymmetry for a 233U target nucleus, in which T asymmetry plays a key role.

Quantum nature of ROT and TRI asymmetries in the ternary fission of nuclei

Effects of T-odd asymmetry in ternary-nuclear-fission reactions induced by polarized cold neutrons are considered within quantum theory. It is shown that the asymmetry coefficient can be expressed in terms of experimental angular distributions of third particles in reactions induced by unpolarized neutrons. The explicit form of this coefficient makes it possible to explain the difference in the magnitudes and signs of the TRI and ROT effects observed experimentally for different targets.

Mechanisms of excitation of T-odd correlations for prescission gamma rays and structure of these correlations

Conditions for the appearance and observation of prescission gamma rays emitted by a fissioning nucleus prior to its separation into fission fragments were investigated within quantum-mechanical fission theory. It is shown that these conditions are realizable in the gamma decay of isovector electric giant dipole resonances in a fissile nucleus that are excited because of nonadiabaticity of the collective deformation motion of the nucleus at the ultimate stages of its prefission evolution. Angular and energy distributions of prescission gamma rays emitted by unpolarized fissioning nuclei are analyzed. Features of T-odd correlations in angular distributions of gamma rays arising in the fission of unpolarized target nuclei that is induced by polarized cold neutrons are investigated, and it is shown that these correlations are similar in nature to T-odd ROT correlations discovered earlier for alpha particles emitted in the ternary fission of nuclei.

P-odd and P-even correlations for third particles in ternary fission

Within quantum-mechanical fission theory, P-odd and P-even correlations in angular distributions of products of the ternary fission of nuclei that is induced by polarized cold and thermal neutrons are investigated on the basis of a nonevaporative mechanism of third-particle emission and under the assumption that a two-humped fission barrier exists. It is shown that these correlations for third particles are induced by the analogous correlations for ternary-fission fragments, the latter being transferred to the third particle because of the kinematical conditions of third-particle emission that are associated with the charge and mass asymmetry of fragments. Optimum methods for observing the above correlations for third particles are discussed. The possibility of discovering the emission of prescission neutrons in the fission process against the background of evaporated neutrons by means of studying P-odd and P-even correlations is explored.

Angular distribution of products of ternary nuclear fission induced by cold polarized neutrons

Within quantum fission theory, angular distributions of products originating from the ternary fission of nuclei that is induced by polarized cold and thermal neutrons are investigated on the basis of a nonevaporative mechanism of third-particle emission and a consistent description of fission-channel coupling. It is shown that the inclusion of Coriolis interaction both in the region of the discrete and in the region of the continuous spectrum of states of the system undergoing fission leads to T-odd correlations in the aforementioned angular distributions. The properties of the TRI and ROT effects discovered recently, which are due to the interference between the fission amplitudes of neutron resonances, are explored. The results obtained here are compared with their counterparts from classic calculations based on the trajectory method.

Quantum description of T-odd correlations in ternary fission

A quantum version of a unified description of two T-odd effects recently observed in the ternary fission of nuclei that is induced by polarized neutrons is considered. These effects are explained by the effect of the Coriolis interaction of the rotating fissile system on the angular distributions of light charged particles in the interior and exterior regions of the nucleus.

Scission neutrons in the general systematics of the yields of light particles from ternary nuclear fission

An interpolation formula that was previously obtained on the basis of a statistical approach is applied to experimental data quoted in the literature over the past few years for light-particle yields from the ternary fission of nuclei. Arguments are adduced in favor of this approach, and an analysis of errors inherent in it is given. Tables are presented in which experimental light-particle yields for eight cases of fission are given along with those that were obtained from the interpolation formula. The applicability of this formula to estimating the yields of so-called scission neutrons is analyzed.

P-even correlations in binary and ternary nuclear fission induced by polarized neutrons

The evolution of a fissile nucleus from transition fission states specified at the saddle point of the deformation potential to fission states associated with prescission configurations of this nucleus and characterized by a pearlike shape of the nucleus is studied within the quantum-mechanical theory of fission processes that is based on the time-independent formalism. The coefficients of P-even asymmetries in the angular distributions of a light fragment and a third particle are calculated on the basis of the idea of the one-step mechanism of the production of a third particle and two fragments from the ternary fission of nuclei that is induced by polarized thermal neutrons. In order to confirm the developed concepts, it is proposed to repeat, at a higher level of statistical accuracy, experiments devoted to observing left-right asymmetries in the angular distributions of alpha particles from the ternary fission of nuclei.

T-odd asymmetries in the angular distributions of fragments originating from the ternary fission of nuclei

A version of a theoretical explanation is proposed for the recently discovered effect of T-odd correlation in ternary nuclear fission induced by polarized neutrons. It is shown that the inclusion of the Coriolis interaction between a third particle and the fissile-nucleus spin within the quantum theory of fission makes it possible to explain the experimental features of the effect and provides a correct estimate of its magnitude.

Parity nonconservation in binary and ternary nuclear fission induced by polarized neutrons

Within the quantum-mechanical theory of the nuclear-fission process, the conditions of the emergence of coherent effects in the angular distributions of fragments originating from the binary and ternary fission of polarized nuclei are analyzed with allowance for the properties of transition fission states. In the case of ternary fission, the coefficients of P-odd asymmetry in the angular distributions of a light particle and a third particle, which is taken here to be an alpha particle, are calculated under the assumption that the third particle and two fragments are produced through a one-step mechanism. In order to confirm the ideas developed here, it is proposed to repeat, at a higher level of statistical accuracy, experiments devoted to seeking P-odd asymmetries for alpha particles in the ternary fission of nuclei.