Dumbbell shapes in the super-asymmetric fission of heavy nuclei

Abstract

We have calculated the fission fragments' mass distributions for several isotopes of heavy and super-heavy nuclei from uranium to flerovium within an improved scission point model. For all considered nuclei, in addition to the standard mass-asymmetric fission mode we have found the mass super-asymmetric mode with the mass of heavy fragments equal 190. For the actinide nuclei, the probability of super-asymmetric fission is by 6 orders of magnitude smaller than for standard asymmetric fission. For the superheavy nuclei this probability is only by 2 orders of magnitude smaller. In all cases, the super-asymmetric scission shapes are dumbbells with the heavy fragment close to a sphere. We have estimated the stability of the light fragment concerning the variation of the neck and found out that sequential ternary fission is not favored energetically. The calculations were carried out with nuclear shape described by generalized Cassinian ovals with 6 deformation parameters, $\alpha, \alpha_1, \alpha_2, \alpha_3, \alpha_4$ and $\alpha_5$. The configuration at the moment of the neck rupture was defined by fixing $\alpha=0.98$. This value corresponds to a neck radius $r_{neck}\approx$ 1.5 fm.