Studies in the statistical theory on nuclear fission

With a view to predict the mass, charge and energy distributions in the framework of a statistical theory, detailed calculations have been performed on the basis that the average values of the observables correspond to the configurations of maximum entropy of the two fragment system near scission. Major improvements over the previous reported work of others are effected in the: (i) specification of the scission configuration, (ii) calculation of scission energy and (iii) calculation of the level density function. Special care has been taken to make the calculations free of parameter fitting. Results of calculations reveal good qualitative agreement with experimental features like dip at symmetry in the fragment kinetic energies as a function of fragment mass number, saw-tooth nature of excitation energy curve etc. However, it was not possible to obtain good quantitative agreement between the observed and predicted mass distribution of fragments in the fission of 236U. In particular, the theoretical mass yield curve peaks at mass number 132 instead of the observed 140. (auth.)