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Title: Origin of the narrow, single peak in the fission-fragment mass distribution for 258Fm

Journal Article · · Physical Review. C. Nuclear Physics
OSTI ID:961002

We discuss the origin of the narrowness of the single peak at mass-symmetric division in the fragment mass-yield curve for spontaneous fission of {sup 258}Fm. For this purpose, we employ the macroscopic-microscopic model and calculate a potential-energy curve at the mass-symmetric compact scission configuration, as a function of the fragment mass number, which is obtained from the single-particle wave-function densities. In the calculations, we minimize total energies by varying the deformations of the two fragments, with constraints on the mass quadrupole moment, and by keeping the neck radius zero. The energies thus become functions of mass asymmetry. Using the obtained potential, we solve the one-dimensional Schroedinger equation with a microscopic coordinate-dependent inertial mass to calculate the fragment mass-yield curve. The calculated mass yield, expressed in terms of the microscopic mass density, is consistent with the extremely narrow experimental mass distribution.

Research Organization:
Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE
DOE Contract Number:
AC52-06NA25396
OSTI ID:
961002
Report Number(s):
LA-UR-08-07012; LA-UR-08-7012; PRVCAN; TRN: US1002689
Journal Information:
Physical Review. C. Nuclear Physics, Vol. 79, Issue 1; ISSN 0556-2813
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English