Beta-delayed fission in proton-rich nuclei in the lead region

Although fission is known since the 1930’s, a truly microscopic description is still lacking. Several isotopes on the nuclear chart have been found to undergo a special process of fission, namely beta-delayed fission (βDF). This process can give us unique insights in the microscopic behavior of fission as it enables the study of fission at very low excitation energies and in regions of the nuclear chart with an unusual N/Zratio compared to the ‘classical’ uranium region. The βDF study of 180Tl, for example, revealed asymmetric fission of 180Hg, which was not expected by the current fission models. Furthermore, a better understanding of the βDF process might give us insight in the formation of the heaviest elements in stars. The aim of this project is thusto investigate further the process of βDF in the region of neutrondeficient Z=82 nuclei. The experiments will be carried out at ISOLDE (CERN) and at SHIP (GSI).