This book introduces a quantum-mechanical description of the nuclear fission process from an initial compound state to scission. Issues like the relevant degrees of freedom throughout the process, the way of coupling collective and intrinsic degrees during the fission process, and how a nucleus divides into two separate daughters in a quantum-mechanical description where its wave function can be non-local, are currently being investigated through a variety of theoretical, computational, and experimental techniques. The term “microscopic” in this context refers to an approach that starts from protons, neutrons, and an effective (i.e., in-medium) interaction between them. The form of this interaction is inspired by more fundamental theories of nuclear matter, but still contains parameters that have to be adjusted to data. Thus, this microscopic approach is far from complete, but sufficient progress has been made to warrant taking stock of what has been accomplished so far. The aim is to provide, in a pedagogical and comprehensive manner, one specific approach to the fission problem, originally developed at the CEA Bruyères-le-Châtel Laboratory in France. Intended as a reference for advanced graduate students and researchers in fission theory as well as for practitioners in the field, it includes illustrative examples throughout the text to make it easier for the reader to understand, implement, and verify the formalism presented.

This hands-on textbook introduces physics and nuclear engineering students to the experimental and theoretical aspects of fission physics for research and applications through worked examples and problem sets. The study of nuclear fission is currently undergoing a renaissance. Recent advances in the field create the opportunity to develop more reliable models of fission predictability and to supply measurements and data to critical applications including nuclear energy, national security and counter-proliferation, and medical isotope production. An Introduction to Nuclear Fission provides foundational knowledge for the next generation of researchers to contribute to nuclear fission physics.

This handbook is a comprehensive, systematic source of modern nuclear physics. It aims to summarize experimental and theoretical discoveries and an understanding of unstable nuclei and their exotic structures, which were opened up by the development of radioactive ion (RI) beam in the late 1980s. The handbook comprises three major parts. In the first part, the experiments and measured facts are well organized and reviewed. The second part summarizes recognized theories to explain the experimental facts introduced in the first part. Reflecting recent synergistic progress involving both experiment and theory, the chapters both parts are mutually related. The last part focuses on cosmo-nuclear physics—one of the mainstream subjects in modern nuclear physics. Those comprehensive topics are presented concisely. Supported by introductory reviews, all chapters are designed to present their topics in a manner accessible to readers at the graduate level. The book therefore serves as a valuable source for beginners as well, helping them to learn modern nuclear physics.

The Compound-Nuclear Reaction and Related Topics (CNR*) international workshop series was initiated in 2007 with a meeting near Yosemite National Park. It has since been held in Bordeaux (2009), Prague (2011), Sao Paulo (2013), Tokyo (2015), and Berkeley, California (2018). The workshop series brings together experts in nuclear theory, experiment, data evaluations, and applications, and fosters interactions among these groups. Topics of interest include: nuclear reaction mechanisms, optical model, direct reactions and the compound nucleus, pre-equilibrium reactions, fusion and fission, cross section measurements (direct and indirect methods), Hauser-Feshbach theory (limits and extensions), compound-nuclear decays, particle and gamma emission, level densities, strength functions, nuclear structure for compound-nuclear reactions, nuclear energy, nuclear astrophysics, and other topics. This peer-reviewed proceedings volume presents papers and poster summaries from the 6th International Workshop on Compound-Nuclear Reactions and Related Topics CNR*18, held on September 24-28, 2018, at Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, Berkeley, CA.

This book provides advanced students and postdocs, as well as current practitioners of any field of nuclear physics involving fission an understanding of the nuclear fission process. Key topics covered are: fission cross sections, fission fragment yields, neutron and gamma emission from fission and key nuclear technologies and applications where fission plays an important role. It addresses both fundamental aspects of the fission process and fission-based technologies including combining quantitative and microscopic modeling.

This book brings together various aspects of the nuclear fission phenomenon discovered by Hahn, Strassmann and Meitner almost 70 years ago. Beginning with an historical introduction the authors present various models to describe the fission process of hot nuclei as well as the spontaneous fission of cold nuclei and their isomers. The role of transport coefficients, like inertia and friction in fission dynamics is discussed. The effect of the nuclear shell structure on the fission probability and the mass and kinetic energy distributions of the fission fragments is presented. The fusion-fission process leading to the synthesis of new isotopes including super-heavy elements is described. The book will thus be useful for theoretical and experimental physicists, as well as for graduate and PhD students.

All papers were peer reviewed. This conference focused on the broad field of nuclear data, their production, dissemination, and testing, with the goal of providing reliable data for applications such a nuclear fission and fusion energy, accelerators, spallation neutron sources, nuclear medicine, environment, space, non-proliferation, nuclear safety, astrophysics and cosmology, and basic research.

In this volume, the main results of the last sixty years of research in nuclear fission are summarized, showing how ideas advanced from the beginning, for nuclei have also found useful applications in the new area of atomic clusters. The present status of the physics of fission is discussed in depth, and perspectives for further research are outlined.