Fission of uranium and thorium under deuteron bombardment

Abstract

In continuation of the experiments on uranium fission under deuteron bombardment reported by Gant from this laboratory, we have carried out a chemical separation of the recoil products. The particles projected from the uranium target under deuteron bombardment were collected on an aluminium foil using the experimental arrangement described by Gant. The foil was then dissolved in aqua regia and, after adding the necessary carriers, platinum, barium and lanthanum separations were made in the usual way. The activities observed were 15 min., 1 hr. and 30-40 hr. with the platinum fraction, 11 min. and 80 min. with the barium fraction, and 4 hr. with the lanthanum fraction. Some of the periods are thus found to correspond to those obtained with neutron fission in uranium, in agreement with Gant's conclusion that 9 Mev. deuterons are capable of producing fission in uranium. Control experiments with lead and bismuth targets failed to show any appreciable activities in the carriers.