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Title: Potential energy surfaces and lifetimes for spontaneous fission of heavy and superheavy elements from a variable density dependent mass formula

Journal Article · · Ann. Phys. (N.Y.); (United States)

The potential energy surface for spontaneous fission is calculated using realistic density distributions for finite nuclei. Particular emphasis is placed on the region of the potential between the saddle and scission point. The method involves computing the energy of the system using an energy density functional consistent with variable density distributions and nuclear masses and obtained from a statistical many body theory. The results shown that there exists an external or scission barrier to the fission process. Lifetimes and mass distributions which are computed using these potential energy surfaces are found to be in adequate agreement with observations for /sup 234/U, /sup 236/U, /sup 240/Pu, /sup 244/Cm, /sup 248/Cf, and /sup 252/Cf. Our predicted upper limit for the spontaneous fission half-lives of elements 112 and 114 is one year but the calculation indicates that these could be considerably shorter than a year. (AIP)

Research Organization:
Physics Department, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario
OSTI ID:
7147257
Journal Information:
Ann. Phys. (N.Y.); (United States), Vol. 98:2
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English