Cumulative Yields of the Heavy Fragments in U235 Thermal Neutron Fission

Abstract

Isotopic abundances of the elements barium, cerium, neodymium, samarium and europium formed in the thermal neutron fission of have been studied with a mass spectrometer. Suitable analyses of very young and old fission products have made possible the normaliza­tion of the isotopic abundances of each of these elements through iso­baric nuclides. In this manner the relative cumulative fission yield of every fission chain from mass 137 to 154 has been obtained. These yields, together with previously reported relative yields of masses 131 to 137 when normalized to total 100%, give the absolute cumulative yield of all the significant heavy fragment chains. The origin of the fine structure found in this mass yield distribution is discussed. It has been found that all fine structure can be explained in terms of a smooth primary mass-yield curve and a simple neutron distribution both of which are compared with experimental data from other laboratories.