Possibility of optically induced nuclear fission

The process of nuclear fission induced by nonlinear radiative coupling to atomic electrons is considered. For 248-nm radiation at an intensity of ≅10/sup 21/ W/cm2, highly relativistic currents are produced which can couple to the fission mode of nuclear decay. With irradiation for a time of ≅100 fs the results indicate a fission probability of ≅10/sup -5/ for /sub //sub <2/ /sub 92//sup 38/U nuclei located at the surface of a solid target, a value several orders of magnitude above the limit of detection