Long lifetime components in the decay of excited super-heavy nuclei

For nuclear reactions in which super-heavy nuclei can be formed, the essential difference between the fusion process followed by fission and non-equilibrium processes leading to fission-like fragments is the reaction time. Quite probable non-equilibrium processes, characterized by very short reaction times, are highlighted thanks to mass-angle correlations. However, long lifetime components associated with fission following fusion have been observed with two independent experimental techniques, providing evidence for the formation of compound nuclei with Z = 120 and 124, followed by mass asymmetric fission.