Fast fission phenomenon

Abstract

In these lectures we have described two different phenomena occuring in dissipative heavy ion collisions : neutron-proton asymmetry and fast fission. Neutron-proton asymmetry has provided us with an example of a fast collective motion. As a consequence quantum fluctuations can be observed. The observation of quantum or statistical fluctuations is directly connected to the comparison between the phonon energy and the temperature of the intrinsic system. This means that this mode might also provide a good example for the investigation of the transition between quantum and statistical fluctuations which might occur when the bombarding energy is raised above 10 MeV/A. However it is by no means sure that in this energy domain enough excitation energy can be put into the system in order to reach such high temperatures over the all system. The other interest in investigating neutron-proton asymmetry above 10 MeV/A is that the interaction time between the two incident nuclei will decrease. Consequently, if some collective motion should still be observed, it will be one of the last which can be seen. Fast fission corresponds on the contrary to long interaction times. The experimental indications are still rather weak and mainly consist of experimental data which cannot be understood in the framework of standard dissipative models. We have seen that a model which can describe both the entrance and the exit configuration gives this mechanism in a natural way and that the experimental data can, to a good extend, be explained. The nicest thing is probably that our old understanding of dissipative heavy ion collisions is not changed at all except for the problems that can now be understood in terms of fast fission. Nevertheless this area desserve further studies, especially on the experimental side to be sure that the consistent picture which we have on dissipative heavy ion collisions still remain coherent in the future.