Mass-Asymmetric Fission of Light Nuclei

Abstract

Barriers to the mass-asymmetric fission of ${}_{}{}^{111}{}_{}{}^{}\mathrm{In}$ are calculated in the liquid-drop and in the Yukawa-plus-exponential finite-range models. The calculated barrier heights are compared to those previously inferred from fission excitation functions for $3<~Z<~11$. The liquid-drop-model barriers are about 12 MeV too high, while the finite-range model gives barriers an average of 1.6 MeV too high. This type of experimental data should make possible a more precise determination of the surface-energy and surface-asymmetry coefficients in semiempirical nuclear mass formulas.