Study of energy dissipation in ²³⁴U fission from the ²³³U(d,pf) reaction

Abstract

The energy balance in the fission of ²³⁴U has been investigated on the basis of experimental results from the ²³³U(d,pf) reaction. Taking into account the neutron evaporation we have deduced the total kinetic energy and excitation energy distributions of the primary fragments as functions of the excitation energy of the fissioning nucleus. The neutron evaporation temperatures have been adjusted so as to reproduce the average value and width of the measured kinetic energy distributions for each fragmentation. Excitation energy distributions of the fragments have been deduced. The data are discussed in the framework of the liquid drop model with shell corrections. Evidence for energy dissipation in the fission of ²³⁴U, involving drastic changes in the scission configuration, is shown for some fragmentation modes.