New Results on Nuclear Fission—Data and Interpretation

An overview on phenomena observed in low‐energy fission is presented, including new results from a GSI experiment with relativistic secondary beams. The interpretation of the structural effects in terms of fission channels reveals an astonishing stability of the fission‐channel positions in the heavy fragment in nuclear charge in contrast to the previously assumed constancy in mass. The statistical model is applied to deduce the relevant characteristics of the potential‐energy surface. It is assumed that the different degrees of freedom are frozen at a specific stage each on the descent from saddle to scission due to the fission dynamics. Evidence for the separability of compound‐nucleus and fragment properties in fission is deduced.