Postfission properties of uranium isotopes: A hybrid method with Langevin dynamics and the Hauser-Feshbach statistical model

TL;DR

This paper introduces a hybrid computational method combining Langevin dynamics and the Hauser-Feshbach model to accurately simulate uranium isotope fission, including prompt neutron emission, and applies it to both known and neutron-rich isotopes relevant to nucleosynthesis.

Contribution

The study develops a novel integrated approach for modeling nuclear fission dynamics and post-fission neutron emission, successfully reproducing experimental data and predicting properties of unmeasured isotopes.

Findings

Successfully reproduces experimental fission yields and neutron emissions for ${}^{236}$U.

Predicts asymmetric multi-peak fission for ${}^{250}$U and symmetric fission for ${}^{255}$U.

Shows neutron-rich uranium isotopes have significantly different neutron emission characteristics.

Abstract

Background: Precise understanding of nuclear fission is crucial for experimental and theoretical nuclear physics, astrophysics, and industrial applications; however, the complete physical mechanics is unresolved due to the complexities. Purpose: In this study, we present a new method to describe the dynamical-fission process and following prompt-neutron emission, where we combine the dynamical fission calculation based on the Langevin method and the Hauser-Feshbach statistical model. Methods: Two methods are connected smoothly within the universal charge distribution and the energy conservation, allowing us to calculate a sequence of fission dynamics and post-fission phase, including prompt neutron emission. Results: Using a certain set of model parameters, we successfully reproduce the experimental primary-fission yields, total kinetic energy, independent-fission yields, and prompt neutron emissions for the neutron induced fission of ${}^{236}$U, a compound nucleus of ${\rm n} + {}^{235}{\rm U}$. We elucidate the physical mechanism of the characteristic features observed in previous experiments, such as shell properties. Additionally, we apply our calculation to two very neutron-rich uranium isotopes, i.e., ${}^{250}$U and ${}^{255}$U, which are not experimentally confirmed but are important for r-process nucleosynthesis. Theoretical results indicate that ${}^{250}$U exhibits an asymmetric multiple-peak fission yield distribution, while the neutron-rich ${}^{255}$U has a single peak due to symmetric fission. Our method predicts post-neutron emission fragments, where ${}^{250}$U shows a stronger neutron emissivity than ${}^{255}$U. Conclusions: Our framework is highly reproducible in the experiments and shows that the number of emitted neutrons after fission differs significantly in neutron-rich uranium fission depending on distributions of fission variables.