γ-ray studies of the fission of 238U induced by 12C, 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 γ-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 238U+12C leading to the compound nucleus 250Cf. First results of this experiment are presented.