Dynamical Synthesis of ^4He in the Scission Phase of Nuclear Fission

Scientific paper - Original scientific paper

• Author: Z. X. Ren
• Author: Dario Vretenar
• Author: Tamara Nikšić
• Author: P. W. Zhao
• Author: J. Zhao
• Author: J. Meng
• Author's institution: University of Zagreb; Faculty of Science; (Department of Physics)
• Scientific / art field, discipline and subdiscipline: NATURAL SCIENCES; Physics

Abstract (english)

In the exothermic process of fission decay, an atomic nucleus splits into two or more independent fragments. Several aspects of nuclear fission are not properly understood, in particular the formation of the neck between the nascent fragments, and the subsequent mechanism of scission into two or more independent fragments. Using an implementation of time-dependent density functional theory, based on a relativistic energy density functional and including pairing correlations, we analyze the final phase of the process of induced fission of 240Pu, and show that the timescale of neck formation coincides with the assembly of two α-like clusters. Because of its much larger binding energy, the dynamical synthesis of 4He in the neck predominates over other light clusters, e.g., 3H and 6He. At the instant of scission the neck ruptures exactly between the two α-like clusters, which separate because of the Coulomb repulsion and are eventually absorbed by the two emerging fragments. The mechanism of light charged clusters formation at scission could also be linked to ternary fission.

• Keywords (english): dynamical synthesis; nuclear fission
• Language: english
• Publication type: Scientific paper - Original scientific paper
• Publication status: Published
• Peer review: Peer review - international
• Publication version: Published version
• Journal title: Physical Review Letters
• Numbering: vol. 128, no. 17, 172501
• p-ISSN: 0031-9007
• e-ISSN: 1079-7114
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.128.172501
• URN:NBN: urn:nbn:hr:217:261773
• Publication: 2022
• Project: Number: IP-2018-01-5987; Title (croatian): Kvantificiranje neodređenosti u formalizmu nuklearnih energijskih funkcionala gustoće; Title (english): Uncertainty Quantification within the nuclear energy density functional framework; Acronym: NucEDF; Leader: Tamara Nikšić; Jurisdiction: Croatia; Funding stream: Research Projects
• Project: Number: KK.01.1.1.01.0004; Title (croatian): Provedba vrhunskih istraživanja u sklopu Znanstvenog centra izvrsnosti za kvantne i kompleksne sustave te reprezentacije Liejevih algebri; Title (english): Implementation of top research within the Scientific Center of Excellence for Quantum and Complex Systems, and Representations of Lie Algebras; Acronym: QuantiXLie; Leader: Hrvoje Buljan; Jurisdiction: eu; Funding stream: European Regional Development Fund
• Document URL: https://link.aps.org/doi/10.1103/PhysRevLett.128.172501
• Type of resource: Text
• Access conditions: Open access
• Public note: © 2022 American Physical Society. Received 22 November 2021; revised 11 February 2022; accepted 8 April 2022; published 29 April 2022.
• Created on: 2024-08-31 18:08:00