XENON AND KRYPTON IN PITCHBLENDE AND THE SPONTANEOUS FISSION OF U230

Abstract

The mass patterns of the xenon and krypton isotopes extracted from pitchblende samples from the Great Bear Lake region and from the Belgian Congo have been studied using a 180° mass spectrometer. The mass yield curve for the spontaneous fission 238 of U has been deduced from the xenon and krypton isotope abundance measurements. Differences have been detected in the mass yield patterns for the two ores and their significance is discussed.