Light Charged Particles and Fission Elements from Californium-252 Fission

Light charged particles (LCP) and fission elements formed in ternary fission of ²⁵²Cf have been investigated. The energy spectra of light particles, alphas, and protons were studied using a ΔE × (E + ΔE) particle-identifying telescope apparatus. A coincidence circuit was used in such a way that the K x rays from the ternary fission fragments were electronically gated by a designated LCP and then stored in a multichannel analyzer. The K x rays were analyzed using a high-resolution lithium-drifted silicon spectrometer, permitting accurate identification of the elements in the charge distribution of fission fragments. Experimental results indicate the influence of the odd-even effect and also of shape deformation of alpha-accompanied ternary fission.