gamma-ray studies of the fission of U-238 induced by C-12, spectroscopy and fission dynamics

Fission studies have been known for a long time to provide neutron-rich nuclei in various states of excitation energy, spin and deformation. Although many studies have been performed concerning fission fragments from spontaneous fission and neutron induced fission, a renewed interest in fission-fragment spectroscopy has occurred with the elaboration of large Ge detector arrays such as EUROBALL. We have recently performed an experiment with EUROBALL III using SAPhIR; a fission-fragment detector made from photovoltaic cells. The compact and versatile geometry of SAPhIR allows it to be installed inside the gamma-ray detector, and to obtain additional information from the fission process as well as a timing reference. Neutron-rich nuclei have been populated in the fusion-fission reaction U-238 + C-12 leading to the compound nucleus Cf-250. First results of this experiment are presented.