Pre-neutron-emission mass distributions for reaction $^{232}$Th(n, f) up to 60 MeV

Abstract

The pre-neutron-emission mass distributions for reaction $^{232}$Th(n, f) up to 60 MeV are systematically studied with an empirical fission potential model. The energy dependences of the peaks and valleys of the pre-neutron-emission mass distributions are described by the exponential expressions based on the newly measured data. The energy dependence of evaporation neutrons before scission, which plays a crucial role for the reasonable description of the mass distribution, is also considered. Both the double-humped and triple-humped shape of the measured pre-neutron-emission mass distributions for reaction $^{232}$Th(n, f) are reasonably well reproduced at incident energies up to 60 MeV. The mass distributions at unmeasured energies and the critical energies at which the humped pre-neutron-emission mass distributions are transformed into each other are also predicted.