No Arabic abstract
Background: The influence of shell effect on the dynamics of the fusion fission process and its evolution with excitation energy in the pre-actinide Hg-Pb region in general is a matter of intense research in recent years. In particular, a strong ambiguity remains for the neutron shell closed $^{210}$Po nucleus regarding the role of shell effect in fission around $approx$ 30 - 40 MeV of excitation energy. Purpose: We have measured the fission fragment mass distribution of $^{210}$Po populated using fusion of $^{4}$He + $^{206}$Pb at different excitation energies and compare the result with recent theoretical predictions as well as with our previous measurement for the same nucleus populated through a different entrance channel. Mass distribution in the fission of the neighbouring nuclei $^{213}$At is also studied for comparison. Methods: Two large area Multi-wire Proportional Counters (MWPC) were used for complete kinematical measurement of the coincident fission fragments. The time of flight differences of the coincident fission fragments were used to directly extract the fission fragment mass distributions. Results: The measured fragment mass distribution for the reactions $^{4}$He + $^{206}$Pb and $^{4}$He + $^{209}$Bi were symmetric and the width of the mass distributions were found to increase monotonically with excitation energy above 36.7 MeV and 32.9 MeV, respectively, indicating the absence of shell effects at the saddle. However, in the fission of $^{210}$Po, we find minor deviation from symmetric mass distributions at the lowest excitation energy (30.8 MeV). Conclusion: Persistence of shell effect in fission fragment mass distribution of $^{210}$Po was observed at the excitation energy $approx$ 31 MeV as predicted by the theory; at higher excitation energy, however, the present study reaffirms the absence of any shell correction in the fission of $^{210}$Po.
Fusion-fission dynamics is investigated with a special emphasis on fusion reactions at low energy for which shell effects and pairing correlations can play a crucial role leading in particular to multi-modal fission. To follow the dynamical evolution of an excited and rotating nucleus we solve a 2-dimensional Langevin equation taking explicitly light-particle evaporation into account. The confrontation theory-experiment is demonstrated to give interesting information on the model presented, its qualities as well as its shortcomings.
Results of a comparative analysis of the $^{214}$Po ($T_{1/2}= 163.47pm0.03$ $mu$s), $^{213}$Po ($T_{1/2}=3.705 pm 0.001$ $mu$s) and $^{212}$Po ($T_{1/2}=294.09pm0.07$ ns) half-life annular variation parameters are presented. It is shown that two independent sequential sets of the $^{214}$Po $tau$-values $(tauequiv T_{1/2})$ obtained in the spaced laboratories can be described by sinusoidal functions. The sinusoid curve with amplitude $A=(5.0 pm1.5) cdot 10^{-4}$, period $omega=(365pm 8)$ days, and phase $phi=(170 pm 7)$ days approximates the set of $^{214}$Po $tau$ values obtained at BNO INR RAS during the $sim$973 days starting on January 4, 2012. The function approximates a set of $tau$-values with a time duration of $sim1460$ days obtained at the KhNU has an amplitude $A=(4.9pm1.8)cdot10^{-4}$, a period $omega= (377pm13)$ days and a phase $phi=(77pm10)$ days. The $^{213}$Po $tau$-value set with a time duration of $sim1700$ days can be described by a sinusoidal function with an amplitude $A=(3.9pm1.2)cdot10^{-4}$, a period $omega= (370pm13)$ days and a phase $phi=(130pm9)$ days. The $^{212}$Po $tau$-value set with a time duration of $sim670$ days can be described by a sinusoidal function with an amplitude $A=(7.5pm1.6)cdot10^{-4}$, a period $omega= (375pm13)$ days and a phase $phi=(40pm10)$ days.
The fission fragment mass distributions have been measured in the reactions 16O + 184W and 19F+ 181Ta populating the same compound nucleus 200Pb? at similar excitation energies. It is found that the widths of the mass distribution increases monotonically with excitation energy, indicating the absence of quasi-fission for both reactions. This is contrary to two recent claims of the presence of quasi-fission in the above mentioned reactions.
A device with the parent $^{229}$Th source was constructed to search for variations of the daughter $^{213}$Po half-life ($T_{1/2} = 4.2$ $mu$s). A solar-daily variation with amplitude $A_{So}=(5.3 pm 1.1) times 10^{-4}$, a lunar-daily variation with amplitude $A_L = (4.8 pm 2.1) times 10^{-4}$, and a sidereal-daily variation with amplitude $A_S = (4.2 pm 1.7) times 10^{-4}$ were found upon proceeding the data series over a 622-day interval (from July 2015 to March 2017). The $^{213}$Po half-life mean value is found to be $T_{1/2} = 3.705 pm 0.001$ $mu$s. The obtained half-life is in good agreement with some of the literature values obtained with great accuracy.
Mass distributions of the fragments in the fission of $^{206}$Po and the N=126 neutron shell closed nucleus $^{210}$Po have been measured. No significant deviation of mass distributions has been found between $^{206}$Po and $^{210}$Po, indicating the absence of shell correction at the saddle point in both the nuclei, contrary to the reported angular anisotropy and pre-scission neutron multiplicity results. This new result provides benchmark data to test the new fission dynamical models to study the effect of shell correction on the potential energy surface at saddle point.