Microscopic theory of angular momentum distributions across the full range of fission fragments

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Authors: Marević, Petar, Schunck, Nicolas, Verriere, Marc
Format: Preprint
Published: 2025
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author Marević, Petar
Schunck, Nicolas
Verriere, Marc
author_facet Marević, Petar
Schunck, Nicolas
Verriere, Marc
contents Modern nuclear theory provides qualitative insights into the fundamental mechanisms of nuclear fission and is increasingly capable of making reliable quantitative predictions. Most quantities of interest pertain to the primary fission fragments, whose subsequent decay is typically modeled using statistical reaction models. Consequently, a key objective of fission theory is to inform these models by predicting the initial conditions of the primary fragments. In this work, we employ a framework that combines joint angular momentum and particle number projection with time-dependent configuration mixing to calculate the angular momentum distributions of primary fragments. Focusing on the benchmark cases of neutron-induced fission of $^{235}$U and $^{239}$Pu, we predict - for the first time - microscopic angular momentum distributions for all fragments observed in experiments. Our results reveal a pronounced sawtooth pattern in the average angular momentum as a function of fragment mass, consistent with recent measurements. Additionally, we observe substantial variations in angular momentum distributions along isobaric chains, indicating that commonly used empirical formulas lack sufficient accuracy. We also quantify a strong correlation between the angular momentum and the deformation of the fragments at scission, and a weak correlation in the magnitude of the angular momentum between fragment partners. The generated data will enable estimation of the impact of microscopic distributions on fission spectra, paving the way toward fission modeling based on microscopic inputs.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2506_10777
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Microscopic theory of angular momentum distributions across the full range of fission fragments
Marević, Petar
Schunck, Nicolas
Verriere, Marc
Nuclear Theory
Modern nuclear theory provides qualitative insights into the fundamental mechanisms of nuclear fission and is increasingly capable of making reliable quantitative predictions. Most quantities of interest pertain to the primary fission fragments, whose subsequent decay is typically modeled using statistical reaction models. Consequently, a key objective of fission theory is to inform these models by predicting the initial conditions of the primary fragments. In this work, we employ a framework that combines joint angular momentum and particle number projection with time-dependent configuration mixing to calculate the angular momentum distributions of primary fragments. Focusing on the benchmark cases of neutron-induced fission of $^{235}$U and $^{239}$Pu, we predict - for the first time - microscopic angular momentum distributions for all fragments observed in experiments. Our results reveal a pronounced sawtooth pattern in the average angular momentum as a function of fragment mass, consistent with recent measurements. Additionally, we observe substantial variations in angular momentum distributions along isobaric chains, indicating that commonly used empirical formulas lack sufficient accuracy. We also quantify a strong correlation between the angular momentum and the deformation of the fragments at scission, and a weak correlation in the magnitude of the angular momentum between fragment partners. The generated data will enable estimation of the impact of microscopic distributions on fission spectra, paving the way toward fission modeling based on microscopic inputs.
title Microscopic theory of angular momentum distributions across the full range of fission fragments
topic Nuclear Theory
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2506.10777