Abstract
Two types of ternary fission of uranium are known. In the first1, two heavy fragments and a lighter particle of an average range 20–30 cm. in air are observed with a frequency of about 0.3 per cent of normal fission. The light particle is generally believed to be an α-particle; but Tsien et al. have suggested2, from investigations using the photographic plate technique, that the mass may vary from 4 to 9. There is also some evidence3 for the occurrence of beryllium-8. In the second type of ternary fission, two heavy particles and one light one with a range of about 8 mm. in air are observed4,5, occurring to the extent of 1.3 per cent of binary fission. The light fragments are considerably more massive than α-particles and a mass of 13 ± 4 has been very tentatively suggested5.
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COOK, G. Search for Beryllium-7 in Uranium Fission. Nature 169, 622 (1952). https://doi.org/10.1038/169622a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/169622a0
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